Popeye Chicken Founder Al Copeland Dies

Al Copeland, the founder of Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, has died. He was 64 years old. In his native New Orleans, he was known as much for his flamboyant lifestyle as for his chain's spicy chicken.

At the age of 18, Copeland sold his car to fund his first restaurant: a doughnut shop. When a successful Kentucky Fried Chicken moved into his neighborhood, Copeland started tinkering with recipes and opened a restaurant of his own. But it struggled: The chicken was too bland. So, he returned to his Louisiana roots and made it spicy.

Under Copeland's leadership, Popeyes opened more than 700 restaurants worldwide. At a Popeyes in New Orleans, restaurant manager Herschel Epps says Copeland was true to his roots.

"The same way that he was today, he was yesterday. He was always consistent, a caring person, and his loss will be felt heavy around here because he was a great guy."

In 1989, Popeyes acquired rival Church's Chicken, which later forced Copeland's company into bankruptcy. Through good times and bad, Copeland led an extravagant lifestyle: sports cars, speed boats — and garish Christmas light displays at his suburban New Orleans home that were so popular that authorities had to direct traffic and neighbors filed lawsuits. There were lavish weddings and bitter divorces that were the talk of the town.

Copeland died in Germany, where he was getting treatment for a rare form of salivary gland cancer.

Story

If you look around, there are some other awesome articles about him, including this snippet about his wedding:

The wedding had a fairy-tale beginning, with the newlyweds arriving for the reception at Mr. Copeland's house in a horse-drawn pumpkin coach and walking beneath a line of crossed sabers held aloft by people dressed like wooden soldiers.

Story

And he went out in style, too, with his casket being carried by a horse-drawn carriage:

Copeland's casket was borne to the mausoleum on a horse-drawn carriage and accompanied by a brass band playing the tune "My Way." In honor of his favorite number, 11, 111 balloons and 11 doves were released.

"Al's going out big. He's got all his toys here," said Eric Paulson, a morning television news anchor and the master of ceremonies.

Story

PJC--Google Has Turned the Lights Out!

http://www.google.com/intl/en/earthhour/

For Earth Hour awareness, they've turned their screen black for "lights out." On Saturday, March 29th, turn your lights out from 8pm-9pm local time. Check out the link above for more details about what's going on.

Airborne is Giving a Refund (Airborne Recall)

Okay, first up, it is 'not' being recalled. It contains what it said it does and nothing in there is going to hurt you. The reason they're offering a refund is because they're settling a lawsuit against them for false advertising. Here's the first page of one article about it:

People who have taken the herbal formula Airborne with the hope of curing or fending off the common cold are eligible for refunds from the company.

Airborne will pay $23.3. million to settle a class action lawsuit over false advertising. Legal battles beginning in 2006 called into question the product's claims as a "miracle cold buster."

"You can say your product prevents or cures the common cold if you have data to support that," said Ronald Turner, professor of pediatrics and associate dean for clinical research at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. "What happened with Airborne is that they made the claim, but had no data."

Since its creation in 1999 by a former second grade schoolteacher, Airborne sales have soared, surpassing $100 million by 2006.

The product has been touted as a way to ward off a cold if taken prior to entering a germ-laden area, like an airplane or school, or to cure a cold that's already been caught.

Airborne and many other remedies are classified as dietary supplements, not drugs, which means as long as they don't make specific health claims, they don't have to prove to the government that they work.

But a February 2006 investigation by ABC's "Good Morning America" found Airborne might not work as advertised. The investigation revealed that Airborne's clinical trial was conducted by just two people in the absence of a clinic or scientists.

At that time, Airborne's CEO, Elise Donahue, resisted the notion that Airborne is a cold remedy.

"I would never sit here and tell you that it's a cure for the common cold," she said. "We don't know if Airborne is a ... cure for the common cold. What Airborne does is, it helps your body build a healthy immune system. When you have a healthy immune system, then it allows your body, on its own, to fight off germs."

Since then, the company has toned down its claims, and the word "cold" is no longer anywhere on the packaging. A recorded message today at Airborne said, "Defendants deny any wrongdoing or illegal conduct, but have agreed to settle the litigation."

According to the recent settlement agreement, people with valid claims will be reimbursed for the amount they spent on Airborne from May 2001 through November 2007 if they still have receipts. Consumers without receipts are eligible to receive money back for as many as six packages each, based on average retail prices of the products. Those prices range from $2.75 per box of Gummi lozenges to $10.50 per box for Airborne Seasonal.

The rest can be found here.

The difficult part is, how many people actually saved their receipts for a product they bought back in 2001 that they assumed worked? I'm willing to bet none.

Flip and Tumble Pop Out Bag

The middle image looks a little wacky, but I love this idea. We've all seen reusable bags and some of us even own them...but how often do you actually use them? Some of you are die hard fans while others, well, you don't even know exactly where the bag ended up.

This little guy, though....he makes it easy. It folds up into a small ball that fits easily into your purse or even large pockets. It's easy to carry with you anywhere, so unexpected stops or quick pit-stops are convenient...without being a waste of plastic/paper bags.

Check out this part of the site for a really informative look at the goal they have for these bags. It's not meant to replace other reusable bags even (unless you don't use them, of course). It talks about the design they chose for styles-sake (the picture shows a bright teal, but it comes in black, brown, and green, too) and how many plastic bag this would replace on average use.

And guess what? After it's long life (because it's built strong to last....toss a couple bowling balls in, because it can easily carry 20lbs....and there's a shoulder pad, too, so no excuses!), don't just toss it out....return it to them and they'll take care of the recycling for you. So environmentally-friendly easy!

I haven't tried it out for myself yet, but it seems really cool, useful, and even a decent design/look to it, so it's worth a shot, I think.....the price isn't even bad ($15 + $4 dollars shipping on up to 3 of them) Plus, who can resist that it can be rolled into a ball and put away neatly (ok, so tossed into your purse with all the other stuff...but at least it can be used, unlike half of the other stuff you probably have in there! :P). Let me know what you think!

I've Gone Pink!! Incredibly Pink!! (Breast Cancer Awareness Month)

I don't like the color pink. At all. I don't know what it is about the color, but it tends to make me uncomfortable. If I try to wear a pink shirt, or god forbid, pink underwear, that's all I can think about all day. I become acutely aware of the fact that there is something pink attached to me and it gets weird. It's just another color and I don't care, but it happens no matter how much I try to forget about it.

This month, though, I'm breaking my own rules of comfort and changing my blog colors to pink. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and everyone's familiar with the color connection (well, it was either for this or Victoria's Secret's Pink line, but I wouldn't do that, now would I?). Most of us know someone who has been effected by breast cancer whether directly or indirectly, so why not join us? It's for a good cause.

Check out PinkforOctober.org for logos like the one I have above, some stories, and links to other sites who have gone pink. Here's the link to other places that have info about breast cancer. Remember, awareness is the whole point, so take a few minutes and educate yourself a bit more. Like....did you know that breast cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death worldwide and *third* in the United States? Exactly....go check out the facts.

PSA--Crocs and Escalators, Not a Good Mix

I've never really liked Crocs. At the camp I work at over the summer, they're big....they're huge. You're no one unless you have at least one pair of Crocs and this year, the fad was to compare the little 'charm' type items that were created to snap into the holes and make the shoes 'unique'. Frankly, I find them ugly, unappealing, clunky, inconvenient (when they're constantly slipping off my kids' feet and we've gotta slow down for them to put them back on), and far from 'unique' no matter how many plastic pieces you show into the holes. If kids want to wear them and parents want to buy them, though, then it's none of my business and I keep my mouth shut about my own personal preferences (until now, of course, but this isn't my first shoe rant...I ranted about flip flops almost a year ago).

Whether you like Crocs or not is your own choice, but for your kids and yourself, please beware of the latest string of accidents occurring. They involve your precious rubber shoes that float in the water and from what I've heard are the "most comfortable thing" to wear. And they involve those moving steps we love to use in malls....escalators. The main reports have been of children as young as 2 and have been as extreme as ripping off full toes. Not good. The article is lengthy, but it's in-depth, so if you or your kids wear Crocs, at least take the time to skim over it and when you're riding escalators, make sure children stay away from the sides and fully pick up their feet to step onto the floor at the end.

Labels Are There for a Reason--Sports Cream Death

Seriously, please pay attention to the recommended use for medicines.....and that includes those creams you use on your body. Arielle Newman, a cross country star, died yesterday after her body absorbed too much of a chemical found in her sports cream. She used the cream itself in excess, and also was wearing anti-inflammatory adhesive pads containing the chemical methyl salicylate. This was no special cream/pad either. This chemical is found in your everyday, run of the mill Bengay and Icy Hot. In moderation, it's safe, but when used too frequently (recommended to be used no more than 3-4 times daily, similar to the maximum times you should take things like ibuprofen and aspirin), the body can intake too much, and in this case, it was fatal. Beware for yourself and teach your children the same. Her mother is in shock over discovering her death was because of sports cream. It's something you'd never think of. My heart goes out to her and her family, and I hope everyone else heeds this as a warning to check the labels and listen to them.

Read the article with more details here.

Throw Away Your Chinese Toothpaste

So we all know that things are cheaper when made in China. Some of immediately think about kids working in sweat shops. Some begin turning red hot from the thoughts about outsourcing and people losing jobs because US companies begin opening shops overseas instead of here. Others think about the recent incident Yet others don't pay any attention to it at all.

Regardless of people's standpoints, though, it's nearly impossible to buy 'everything' from American-based manufacturers (and even if you could, it's almost guaranteed that all the materials and ingredients within are not from America). This is just a warning that the US government is stopping all imports of certain toothpastes made in China because they've been found to contain DEG. The article below explains more, but if you happen to buy bargain toothpaste at places like those little dollar stores, please check the label and see where it was made. If it's from China, toss the two dollar paste and move on to another.

WASHINGTON - The government warned consumers on Friday to avoid using toothpaste made in China because it may contain a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze. Out of caution, the

The government warned consumers on Friday to avoid using toothpaste made in China because it may contain a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze. Out of caution, the Food and Drug Administration said, people should throw away toothpaste with labeling that says it was made in China. The FDA is concerned that these products may contain diethylene glycol. The FDA said, people should throw away toothpaste with labeling that says it was made in China. The FDA is concerned that these products may contain diethylene glycol.

The agency is not aware of any poisoning from toothpaste in the United States, but it did find the antifreeze ingredient in a shipment at the U.S. border and at two retail stores: a Dollar Plus store in Miami and a Todo A Peso store in Puerto Rico.

Officials said they are primarily concerned about toothpaste sold at bargain retail outlets. The ingredient in question, called DEG, is used as a lower-cost sweetener and thickening agent. The highest concentration of the chemical found in toothpaste so far was between 3 percent and 4 percent of the product's overall weight.

"It does not belong in toothpaste even in small concentrations," said the FDA's Deborah M. Autor.

The FDA increased its scrutiny of toothpaste made in China because of reports of contamination in several countries, including Panama.

The agency is particularly concerned about chronic exposure to DEG in children and in people with kidney or liver disease.

Agency officials said they had no estimate of how many tubes of tainted toothpaste might have made it into the U.S.

"Our concern today is potentially about all toothpaste that comes in from China," Autor said. "Our estimate is that China makes up about $3.3 million of the $2 billion U.S. toothpaste market."

The agency also issued an import alert Friday for all dental products containing DEG. The alert means toothpaste from China will be stopped at the border, she said.

Companies that make brands previously found with DEG will have to prove the toothpaste is free of the chemical before it's allowed into the country. Meanwhile, all other brands of Chinese-made toothpaste will be stopped for testing, something the agency has been doing since May 23.

The import alert posted by the government says DEG has been improperly used in a variety of sedatives, syrups and cough medicines worldwide. Most recently, a cough syrup containing DEG resulted in more than 40 deaths in Panama last September.

The alert says the agency found DEG in three products manufactured by Goldcredit International Trading in China. The products are Cooldent Fluoride, Cooldent Spearmint and Cooldent ICE. Analysis of the products revealed they contained between 3 percent and 4 percent DEG.

The agency also found the chemical in one product manufactured by Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemical Co. in China. Analysis of that product, Shir Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste, found it contained about 1 percent DEG.

China's food safety problems have in recent months become a matter of international concern, a situation reflected in trade talks between Chinese and U.S. officials in Washington last week.

Most notably, on March 15, FDA learned that certain pet foods were sickening and killing cats and dogs. FDA found contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into the United States from China and used as ingredients in pet food.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/chinese_toothpaste

Once in a Blue Moon (Your Chance is May 31)

Thursday, May 31 brings us the second of two full Moons for North Americans this month. Some almanacs and calendars assert that when two full Moons occur within a calendar month, that the second full Moon is called the "Blue Moon."

The full moon that night will likely look no different than any other full Moon. But the Moon can change color in certain conditions.

The rest of the article with talk about the origination of the term can be found here, but just a head's up that two nights from now is a "blue" moon!

Menu Pet Food Recall Update--Rat Poison

I blogged about the pet food recall the other day, but there have been new findings. During their investigation, they were focusing on the change in wheat gluten...which wheat gluten itself wouldn't cause kidney failure....but what they found in the contaminated foods would...

Rat poison.

Yep, they don't know how it got there either because it wouldn't make sense to spray a crop with rat poison. Aminopterin is the name of the toxin discovered. Actually, it's not used as rat poison here in the US, but rather as a cancer drug. Even the tiniest amounts of it in food would cause kidney failure in pets (which lead to deaths, of course, and the number is up to 16 at this point...but likely higher because not everyone has heard about the recall and wouldn't necessarily report their pet's death as being linked). In humans, aminopterin, inhibits the growth of malignant cells and suppresses the immune system, so it's beneficial as a cancer drug. Otherwise, it's highly toxic and is quite tragic that it got into millions of cans of pet food.

You can read an updated article here.

Cuts And Gravy Pet Food Recall

And here's where I step back in with another public service announcement. Menu Foods has recalled all 'cuts and gravy' cat and dog food (produced under various brand labels) manufactured between December 2006 and March 2007. The company announced that an unknown number of cats and dogs had suffered kidney failure and another 10 have died after eating the effect food. Snopes confirms this, links to the company press release, and also gives a list of the 48 dog and 40 cat brand names (including Iams, Eukanuba, Ol'Roy, Special Kitty, and all those off brands sold by Wal-Mart, Save-A-Lot, Food Lion, etc). If you have pets and you feed them any sort of 'cuts and gravy' pet food, please check into this.

After Abortion E-Cards

So I was posting this elsewhere online and realized that I should pass it along here, too....

Exhale has branched out into something that other places haven't even thought of. They've created a small series of e-cards, specifically to be sent to those who have had abortions....words of comfort and encouragement, of course, including one with a religious reminder that God will never leave. As they describe it:

Do you know someone who’s had an abortion?
Are you having trouble knowing what to say?
Do you want to let them know you care?

Send them an e-card.

Remember, each person’s experience with abortion is unique. These e-cards were created to address the range of experiences people can have with abortion. As you consider which e-card to send, think about the person you are sending it to. What do they need to know? What are they feeling? What message will provide the most comfort?

Each card is provided in English and Spanish. Click a link below any card to select the one which you would like to send.

See them for yourself here.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I meant to post this before and forgot until it was just sent to me again. I really don't even need to say anything about it....just watch and let your mind follow what it's saying. Quite amazing really...

Singapore Cancer Society--Lung Ashtray

Here's an interesting way to reach out to smokers, although it's sad that those who need to quit smoking the most, will be effected by this the least. They have to really want to do it and very few are actually hit by triggers like this....but I suppose even one person who thinks twice about it next time is enough, huh?

Punxsutawney Phil

I don't think I ever knew his full name, but yep, that's the groundhog. Did you know he has his own site? Yeah, me neither. And here's Phil's official forecast (originally in"Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle) according to the website).

Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/07 at 7:28 a.m. at Gobbler's Knob:

El Nino has caused high winds, heavy snow, ice and freezing temperatures in the west.
Here in the East with much mild winter weather we have been blessed.

Global warming has caused a great debate.
This mild winter makes it seem just great.

On this Groundhog Day we think of one thing.
Will we have winter or will we have spring?

On Gobbler's Knob I see no shadow today.
I predict that early spring is on the way.

Save Endangered Species Attempt--Slender Loris

One more for the day, I'm not sure if you'll say "awww" or "uuhhh..."

A baby Slender Loris is seen in this undated handout image released by the Zoological Society of London on January 15, 2007. Scientists launched a bid on Tuesday to save some of the world's rarest and most neglected creatures from extinction. With an initial list of just 10, including a venomous shrew-like creature, an egg-laying mammal and the world's smallest bat, the programme will give last ditch conservation aid where to date there has been little or none.

And um, notice the conservation effort here. Kudos to London Zoo (again...because they're also the people who prompted my hippo posts).

Momofuku Ando Lives On

In every college dorm room around the US (and likely other countries)....in every household pantry where a child lives....in every supermarket across the land, Momofuku Ando lives on. You may not know him by name, but as soon as I tell you that he's the guy responsible for inventing ramen noodles....and that he died on Friday....you're bound to say "awww." Born in Taiwan in 1910, he died at the age of 96, leaving behind his legacy of the cheapest meal around.

Here's a bit from an article:

In 1948, he founded the precursor to Nissin and in 1958 unveiled Chicken Ramen, the world's first instant noodle product.

Ando was inspired to develop the instant noodle after coming upon a long line of people on a cold night shortly after World War II. They were waiting to buy freshly made ramen at a black market food stall.

The experience convinced him that "peace will come to the world when the people have enough to eat," according to Nissin.

In 1971, Nissin introduced the Cup Noodle featuring instant ramen in a waterproof plastic foam container. Dubbed the "Ramen King," Ando is credited with expanding Nissin into the No. 1 company in the industry and was well-known for his dedication to his work.

And here's a beautiful piece from NYTimes, that takes the time to compare the conveniences of other quick-made noodle deals....none of which compare even in the slightest to ramen noodles:

The news last Friday of the death of the ramen noodle guy surprised those of us who had never suspected that there was such an individual. It was easy to assume that instant noodle soup was a team invention, one of those depersonalized corporate miracles, like the Honda Civic, the Sony Walkman and Hello Kitty, that sprang from that ingenious consumer-product collective known as postwar Japan.

But no. Momofuku Ando, who died in Ikeda, near Osaka, at 96, was looking for cheap, decent food for the working class when he invented ramen noodles all by himself in 1958. His product — fried, dried and sold in little plastic-wrapped bricks or foam cups — turned the company he founded, Nissin Foods, into a global giant. According to the company’s Web site, instant ramen satisfies more than 100 million people a day. Aggregate servings of the company’s signature brand, Cup Noodles, reached 25 billion worldwide in 2006.

There are other versions of fast noodles. There is spaghetti in a can. It is sweetish and gloppy and a first cousin of dog food. Macaroni and cheese in a box is a convenience product requiring several inconvenient steps. You have to boil the macaroni, stir it to prevent sticking and determine through some previously obtained expertise when it is “done.” You must separate water from noodles using a specialized tool, a colander, and to complete the dish — such an insult — you have to measure and add the fatty deliciousness yourself, in the form of butter and milk that Kraft assumes you already have on hand. All that effort, plus the cleanup, is hardly worth it.

Ramen noodles, by contrast, are a dish of effortless purity. Like the egg, or tea, they attain a state of grace through a marriage with nothing but hot water. After three minutes in a yellow bath, the noodles soften. The pebbly peas and carrot chips turn practically lifelike. A near-weightless assemblage of plastic and foam is transformed into something any college student will recognize as food, for as little as 20 cents a serving.

There are some imperfections. The fragile cellophane around the ramen brick tends to open in a rush, spilling broken noodle bits around. The silver seasoning packet does not always tear open evenly, and bits of sodium essence can be trapped in the foil hollows, leaving you always to wonder whether the broth, rich and salty as it is, is as rich and salty as it could have been. The aggressively kinked noodles form an aesthetically pleasing nest in cup or bowl, but when slurped, their sharp bends spray droplets of broth that settle uncomfortably about the lips and leave dots on your computer screen.

But those are minor quibbles. Ramen noodles have earned Mr. Ando an eternal place in the pantheon of human progress. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Give him ramen noodles, and you don’t have to teach him anything.

Notice the last line especially....

R.I.P. Momofuku....

For All the Mommy Bloggers Out There--Car Seats Fail Crash Tests

Most of the infant car seats tested by Consumer Reports "failed disastrously" in crashes at speeds as low as 35 mph, the magazine reported Thursday.

The seats came off their bases or twisted in place, the report said. In one case, a test dummy was hurled 30 feet.

*snip*

To be sold in the United States, an infant seat must perform adequately in a 30 mph frontal crash, and Consumer Reports found that all but the Discovery did so. But it noted that NHTSA crash tests most cars at higher speeds — 35 mph for frontal crashes and 38 mph for side crashes — so the magazine tested the seats at those speeds.
The rest of the story.....

I don't find this acceptable at all. Yes, I understand that they were tested at higher speeds than required for them to test, but do we really want kids to be even unsafer in their car seats as soon as speeds reach 35mph? Just how often do people drive that speed anyway....even when it's the speed limit?

It reminds me of a conversation I had with my mom recently. Ever notice how the recall flyers are usually posted in the back of the store or on the walls in the customer service area? How often do you visit 'those' areas? To make matters worse, the recalls listed are almost 'always' on children's products. I'm sorry, but is it just me who is a little disturbed by the fact that the companies who specialize in making toys for kids....are the ones who are screwing up the most by allowing products on the market before they've really been tested out that well? Seriously, I understand that sometimes things go wrong, and I'm glad they recall those things....but I'm more referring to items like the play set I recently saw that had a recall because it was discovered kids could fit their arms in a tube on it, and they were getting dislocated shoulders and such as they tried to pull their arms back out. Kids have arms....kids get curious....kids explore....kids are *playing* with these toys. Make them safe.

Or how about all the ones that get recalled because they realize there are tiny parts that can come off? Kids put things in their mouths....kids get choked....why insist on putting itty bitty parts on things that are being marketed for the same kids who are going to shove them in their mouths? Do they really not consider these things before selling toys....or do they just not care about anything except the money (because obviously only a small portion of buyers are even going to realize that the products have been recalled)?

Back to the car seats....wouldn't it make sense to test these seats at higher speeds so they can ensure their buyers that their seats are extra safe? Here's another quote that really stood out:

"It's unconscionable that infant seats, which are designed to protect the most vulnerable children, aren't routinely tested the same as new cars," said Consumer Reports' Don Mays, a product safety director.

Makes sense, doesn't it? They're constantly checking new cars and boasting about how this one is safer than that one, blah, blah, blah. But why aren't they checking the seats that are going 'inside' the cars, just as much....especially considering the infant riders are even more vulnerable and fragile than the standard adult? Kinda scary....

Pass The Torch

Another service announcement of sorts here, but please head over to Pass the Torch and leave a comment. She has a sponsor who will donate a dollar to St. Jude's for every comment. Currently, she has just under 100, and would like to reach her limit of 500 by Saturday. Your comment doesn't have to say much....just leave something to say hey, you read the post, and you support the cause....or even "here's a comment," lol. Just do it. Now. *Growls*

(And no worries...it's legit...she's a regular on one of the writing forums I've begun frequenting...she's not just looking for traffic, and money really will be donated...otherwise, I wouldn't pass it on).

There's Nothing Quirky About Pro-Ana/Mia

I found myself on a Pro-Ana/Mia board last night. (And no, I won't link to them....if you want to see what I'm talking about, you can search for yourself). For those who aren't sure of what that means, it's a site where people who are anorexic, bulimic, or have other eating disorders, come together and discuss their methods and give each other support on continuing. I found myself flip flopping back and forth between sheer anger and sheer sadness, both involving tears. If you're not that familiar with the disorders, don't jump to conclusions or start saying how stupid it is....for those girls (and occasionally guys), this is a constant battle. I could go on and on about what I think about the sites who 'support' continuing the battles. I could give you links to article after article after article of different places like Oprah where this stuff has brought national attention. I could help explain the inside workings of 'why' they feel the need to do such things to their bodies. I could even tell personal stories of how I've been there when people were going through it (I've never done any of this stuff myself, nor have I ever had the desire to).

But honestly, none of that mattered last night. All that mattered was that I was reading about 'real' girls. They weren't statistics. They weren't text book cases. They weren't national headlines. They were real people with real problems with real feelings....and I was reading their real words. It was truly heartbreaking....and it's not going to just go away. I've seen a lot of things, and heck, I've even seen 'this' stuff before. I've been to the sites before. But last night, holy cow, people. I know many of my regular readers are my own age, but I feel the need to reach out to you guys anyway and say "hey, if you notice something, help them!" And for those parents out there, pay attention. Seriously....these girls are doing it right under your noses and you don't even see you. You may think of an anorexic girl as just an insecure twig with a body like the one above, but some of these girls start when they're much heavier....some of them will never achieve the body they want, but they're hurting themselves trying anyway. They'll never be "cured," but they *can* be helped....not without people paying attention, though. And certainly not when their only support group is a family online that is 'furthering' their disorder when no one else knows about it in person. Don't think you can help them by yourself either....it won't happen....and you could make it worse even....but if you're the first person to reach out, that's the important part.

I feel myself getting ready to head into a full blown ramble about this, and I don't want to do that to you. I have quirkier things to discuss....but this falls into the same category as my AIDS/HIV/poverty post and how to stay warm without a heater....and even the brief blurb on chemo. It may not make any difference to 'you', but to someone, it's everything....whether it's an eating disorder, AIDS, cancer, poverty, or something you can't even put your finger on, it's there.....and unless you're paying attention and keeping yourself open, you're not even going to notice....

(Oh geez...I was going to leave it at that and add a couple pictures, but it's hard to look away or not get angry when you see the things they have for inspiration.....the videos and the posters that tell them how wonderful it is. There are a few that I really want to post, but I don't want to promote this to anyone or give resources to someone that has struggled with it before or is currently struggling with it now. One of the things on this particular poster, though, says "Thin is always in. Those who say otherwise are usually fat, aren't they?". Or how about "It is always better to fade away into nothingness than to have a cheeseburger clog your arteries." (You don't have to 'starve' yourself to be healthy....grar!). The thing is, this particular photo isn't even of those stick thin girls with bones poking out everywhere. It's of a perfectly healthy girl with curves and all. She doesn't look 'sickly' or 'ill' at all.....but there's no way that starving yourself will ever give you a body like that....none.....)