Nature is Simply Perfect / Can Ritalin Cause Cancer? / Friday Trip: F W Zoo / School Calendar

Love
is the only power
capable of spinning Worlds
into existence.

Our precious memories
take us Home
to the Heart,
where Happiness flows
and the Soul
takes flight.

God has filled the World
with Beauty
and Love.
We are deeply Blessed
by the Almighty Creator
with all things great and small.

Listen
to the Beautiful Birds
singing with such delight,
as the Dandelion fluffs
are floating by
out of sight
and into the great expanse
on their way and beyond
to seed the Stars
in the quiet Sky of night.

Faith
is the Bird that sings,
while it is still dark,
in anticipation of the dawn.
The Beautiful Birds
teach us
 that one of two things will happen
as Time passes by:
there will be something solid to stand on
or you, too, will be taught
how to fly.

We are so Blessed
with amazing Creations.
And all of Creation
is Love.

God Loves every thing,
and every one
of His Creations.
He Loves everything in this World,
all of the plants and animals,
the whole of Nature. 
We Human Creations
are Called Upon to Love and care for
the Beautiful Natural World.
But,
My Dear Friends,
we are failing in that Sacred Task.

Such awareness
brings us straight and center
to our sweet Earth
and how Beautiful it truly is.
The Human Heart
is also Beautiful
and
can be filled
with Love.

Nature is amazing.
You
will never get enough
of the Beautiful sights and sounds
if you but look
and listen.
Inner Peace
may be found
bringing such Love
into your
Heart.

Nature
is Simply Perfect.

It is filled with Beautiful colors
in a State of Grace.
Light fills the Heavenly atmosphere
pure and crystalline.

“Love all God’s Creation,
both the whole and every grain of sand.
Love every leaf, every Ray of Light.
Love the animals,
Love the plants,
Love each separate thing.
If thou Love each thing
thou wilt perceive the mystery of God in all;
and when once thou perceive this,
Thou wilt thenceforward grow every day
to a fuller understanding of it:
until thou come at last to Love the whole World
with a Love that will then be all-embracing
and Universal.”
–  Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

My Dear Friends,
Inner Peace
is shaped by the Wisdom
that
‘This too shall pass’
and is fired in the kiln of
Self-Knowledge.

“Shadow Dancer take me tonight,
in a World full of Star splendor.
Can I open my eyes and see,
the Beauty of all is welcome.
If the World then come to rest,
the fear and pain is blunted,
we walk together out of sight,
until the night
fades
into morning Light.”
– Dreamer by Terry Oldfield

Happiness can be found,
even in the darkest of times,
if one only remembers
to turn on the Light
of Love. 

There are many Beautiful moments
in our Lives
that can find comfort,
and give Harmony and Peace
to the Heart and Soul.
These moments
can both heal the Spirit
and let us move to the rhythm
of Life.
.
“Before I start,
I must see my end.
Destination known, my mind’s journey now begins.
Upon my chariot, Heart & Soul’s fate revealed.
In Time, all points converge
Hope’s strength re-steeled.
But to earn final peace at the Universe’s endless refrain,
We must see all in nothingness…
…before we start again.
– Diamond Dragons (book 1)

Share your Love
with the World
around you.
Let your Heart
travel
until you know
there is still Beauty
in the World.

How Beautiful is God’s Love
expressed through His Creations.
The Natural Beauty
surrounding us
and the Beautiful Love
dwelling within our Hearts
is immeasurable
and incomprehensible.

Goodnight.

Can Ritalin cause cancer? Cancer Prevention Coalition American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Treating Disorders in Children with Ritalin Ignores Evidence of Cancer Risks warns Samuel S. Epstein”, default”, M.D. Based on an industry-funded multi-university trial on 282 pre-teen children treated with Ritalin for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), published in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed the use of the drug. However, the Academy ignores clear evidence of the drug’s cancer risks of which parents, teachers and school nurses, besides most pediatricians and psychiatrists, still remain uninformed and unaware. Some 40 years after the drug was first marketed by Ciba Geigy, carcinogenicity tests were conducted at the taxpayers expense by the National Toxicology Program, the results of which were published in 1995. Adult mice were fed Ritalin over a two-year period at dosages close to those prescribed to children. The mice developed a statistically significant incidence of liver abnormalities and tumors, including highly aggressive rare cancers known as hepatoblastomas. These findings are particularly disturbing as the tests were conducted on adult, rather than young mice which would be expected to be much more sensitive to carcinogenic effects. The National Toxicology Program concluded that Ritalin is a “possible human carcinogen,” and recommended the need for further research. While still insisting that the drug is safe, the Food and Drug Administration admitted that these findings signal “carcinogenic potential,” and required a statement to this effect in the drug’s package insert. However, these inserts are not seen by parents or nurses. The Physicians’ Desk Reference admits evidence on the carcinogenicity of Ritalin, now manufactured by Novartis, qualified by the statement that “the significance of these results is unknown,” apparently not recognizing that this is more alarming than reassuring. Apart from cancer risks, there is also suggestive evidence that Ritalin induces genetic damage in blood cells of Ritalin-treated children. Concerns on Ritalin’s cancer risk are more acute in view of the millions of children treated annually with the drug and the escalating incidence of childhood cancer, by some 35% over the last few decades, quite apart from delayed risks of cancer in adult life. These risks are compounded by the availability of alternative safe and effective procedures, notably behavior modification and biofeedback. There is no justification for prescribing Ritalin, even by highly qualified pediatricians and psychiatrists, unless parents have been explicitly informed of the drug’s cancer risks. Otherwise, prescribing Ritalin constitutes unarguable medical malpractice. Contact: Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., emeritus Professor Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, and Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition, 2121 W. Taylor Street (MC 922), Chicago, IL 60612, phone 312-996-2297, fax 312-996-1374, email epstein@uic.edu Source: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Released: Thu 24-Feb-2005, 14:00 ET Study Shows Methylphenidate Linked to Chromosomal Changes Libraries Medical News Keywords RITALIN GENETIC DAMAGE CANCER METHYLPHENIDATE ADHD Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Description A new study found that every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder with methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities—occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects. In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities – occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects. The researchers say that to their knowledge this is the first study addressing the potential chromosome-breaking effects associated with treatment of children with methylphenidate, the generic name for a group of drugs that includes Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate CD and others. Methylphenidate is the most widely prescribed of a class of amphetamine-like drugs used to treat ADHD, with more than 10 million prescriptions written for it in 1996 alone. Between 1991 and 1999, United States sales of methylphenidate increased more than 500 percent. Researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) reported their detection of the chromosome abnormalities in the journal Cancer Letters. Their peer-reviewed paper is to be published several months hence, but the journal editors have made it available online in the journal’s “articles in press” section. The authors said they undertook the study because, even though methylphenidate has been approved for human use for more than 50 years, “there are surprisingly few studies” in either animals or human beings “on the potential for serious side effects,” such as causing mutations and cancer. In 1996, a report discussing several two-year-long animal studies showed that the highest levels of methylphenidate tested caused liver tumors in male and female mice. However, similar studies in rats showed no such tumors. The new Texas study involved researchers drawing blood from children diagnosed with ADHD before they began taking methylphenidate in order to get a baseline level of chromosomal abnormalities. Three months after the children had begun taking the drug, the researchers drew the children’s blood and tested it a second time. Chromosomes are the bodies within cells that carry the genes and genetic information. All 12 of the children whose before-and-after blood cells were studied were treated with normal therapeutic doses of methylphenidate. Most of the abnormalities found in the studied blood cells consisted of chromosome breaks “and a higher frequency of aberrations is reported to be associated with an increased risk of cancer down the line,” said lead author Randa A. El-Zein, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at M.D. Anderson who performed the blood studies using several techniques. “It was pretty surprising that all of the children taking methylphenidate showed an increase in chromosome abnormalities in a relatively short period of time,” El-Zein said. UTMB Professor of Environmental Toxicology Marvin Legator, the study’s principal investigator and senior author, cautioned, “This study doesn’t mean that these kids are going to get cancer, but it does mean they are exposed to an additional risk factor, assuming that this study holds up.” Of the 53 known human carcinogens, Legator said 48 could be detected using the chromosome analysis methods employed in this study. El-Zein stressed that much larger studies at several medical centers are needed to confirm the results of this study and to answer other questions not addressed by it. One of these issues is the question of what happens when patients stop taking methylphenidate. “Do the levels of chromosome abnormalities go back to normal?” El-Zein said. “We don’t know.” Parents should respond cautiously to this preliminary study, El-Zein said, noting that there are few alternatives to methylphenidate for treating ADHD. Asked what he would do in response to the study if his child were on methylphenidate, co-author Matthew J. Hay, a UTMB pediatrician who treated all the children who participated in the study, was equally guarded. “Twelve kids with one physician in one county is too small a sample to base a decision on,” he said. “If my child were on the medication and were doing well, I wouldn’t take him off it” unless additional studies showed similar effects. The Cancer Letters article by Randa A. El-Zein, Sherif Z. Abdel-Rahman, Matthew J. Hay, Mirtha S. Lopez, Melissa L. Bondy, Debra L. Morris and Marvin S. Legator can be found on the Web by clicking the “Articles in Press” button on ScienceDirect’s Cancer Letters page (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03043835).

FRIDAY TRIP

On Friday, Oct. 29, we will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the EAST entrance of the Fort Worth Zoo, 1989 Colonial Parkway (Telephone: 817-759-7500). Pick up will also be at the EAST entrance of the Zoo at 2:30 p.m.

Admission: Adults (13+) $ 16.00, Children (3 – 12) $ 12.00,
Seniors (65 +) $ 12.00.

You may wear costumes to the Zoo. Please pay at the Zoo.

PARKING IS $ 5.00.

LUNCH: Please provide funds for Lunch.

School Calendar

2021-22

First Semester
Sept. 7 – December 17   2021

Sept. 7 (TUESDAY)               First Day of First Semester
Oct. 11 (Monday)                   Columbus Day Holiday
Nov. 22 – 26                           Fall Break (and Thanksgiving)
Dec. 17                                   Last Day of Fall Semester

Second Semester

Jan. 4 (TUESDAY)                 Second Semester Begins
Jan. 17  (Monday)                  Dr. Martin L. King Holiday
Feb. 21  (Monday)                  Presidents’ Day Holiday
Mar. 14 – 18                           Spring Break Holiday
April 15 & 18                           Good Friday and Easter Monday Holidays
May 24 – 27                            Adventure Trip
May 27                                    Last Day of Spring Semester

Lyrics/songs texts/paintings/articles

are property and copyright of their owners
and provided for educational purposes.

Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976,
allowance is made for “fair use”
for purposes such as criticism, comment,
news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research.
Fair use is permitted by copyright statute.

Non-profit, educational or personal use
tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.

© Copyright 1995-2021
The Anderson Private School.

“He who opens a school door,
closes a prison. “
– Victor Hugo

I wish you all
 Peace.

Hang on
to your Faith.
You will get there.

 

.

.

.

.

.

 

In the Garden of God’s Gratitude / Diesel Exhaust and Cancer / 2020-21 School Calendar

Listen
to the Beautiful Song
that is your Sacred Life.
Allow your powerful words
and the Melody of this moment
to blossom
from your kind thoughts
and deeds.

The sounds
of your Song,
of your Compassion and Love
will heal you
and many others,
from places of sadness
and sorrow.

My Dear Friends,
in Prayer,
there is a calm surrender
to the rush of day.

In Prayer
memory may be lost,
and hurt
forgiven.

We can become
as a Child again,
when our World was simpler and kinder –
when Life was still Happy
and Soulful.

This day
can look good
on you.
You
can hear the whisper in the wind
telling you
everything is going to be Beautiful,
again.

God
comes to us
on a soft breeze
to keep our Heart warm
in His Love,
and then,
gently,
never leaves.

You,
My Dear Friend,
add poetry to this Beautiful Life.
It is very Beautiful.
 The Immortal Melody
of Truly Living
and the wonderful lyrics
of your Kind words,
will find your sensitive Soul
entwined with a new view of Life,
and you
in the Garden
of God’s Gratitude.

The Love of God,
so Beautiful and Gentle,
will embrace you.

The Music Of The Universe
is the sound of His Love.
Listen,
and it will embrace
you.

Our Love is most bright,
drawn by our Souls aspiring
to Soar
to God’s Created Light.

We were born to Love,
to smile and Live intensely.
Yes,
our Life often brings us pain,
anguish and tears.

                      When Life was still Happy.

My Dear Friends,
we can endure suffering,
by listening,
and Loving and learning,
looking for a smile
within,
seeking Peace,
inner Light.

The Word of God,
is flesh that fashions
the future
of every Child of God.
And
with the fire of Life impassioned,
and striving to reveal
Truths unknown,
we are soaring
above
with the Power
of Love.

Learning to Love yourself
is the greatest Love
of all.

If
by chance,
the special place
you’ve been dreaming of
leads you to a lonely place,
an empty space,
find your strength
in Love.

The greatest Love of all,
can happen to
YOU.

Prayer
can be such a Blessing
to your Soul.
The Words of a Prayer,
 come flooding back
to bring comfort
and Peace.
Let your thoughts
reflect Sacred Scripture.
And the contemporary arrangements
of worry and stress
will fade into obscurity.
And your Heart
will be at Peace
once more.

Prayer
is meditative and soft
and loud.

Your Prayerful Thoughts
come with a relaxed tempo
that allows you
to focus on the words. 
Your Communion with
God,
makes Love for Eternity
reside within
your Heart.

May we always
abide with God.

Goodnight.

“Look into my eyes
You will see
What you mean to me
Search your Heart
Search your Soul
And when you find me there
You’ll search no more.“
– Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen, Robert J. Lange

                             Look into my eyes.

Diesel Exhaust and Cancer
from the American Cancer Society

Click here to read more

(Here is another very good reason
to buy an all electric vehicle.)

What is diesel exhaust?

Diesel is a type of fuel derived from crude oil. Diesel fuel is used in most large engines, including those used in many trucks, buses, trains, construction and farm equipment, generators, ships, and in some cars.

Diesel exhaust is made up of 2 main parts: gases and soot (particles). Each of these, in turn, is made up of many different substances.

• The gas portion of diesel exhaust is mostly carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur oxides, and hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
• The soot (particulate) portion of diesel exhaust is made up of particles such as carbon, organic materials (including PAHs), and traces of metallic compounds.

Both the gases and the soot of diesel exhaust contain PAHs.

Exhaust from diesel engines brings a complex mixture of soot and gases to roadways, cities, farms, and other places. Health concerns about diesel exhaust relate not only to cancer, but also to other health problems such as lung and heart diseases.

How are people exposed to diesel exhaust?

People can be exposed to diesel exhaust at work, around the home, or while traveling mainly by breathing in the soot and gases. Diesel exhaust exposure is widespread in the modern world.

The amount of diesel exhaust people are exposed to varies greatly. Measuring these exposures is not easy because diesel exhaust is chemically complex and many parts of it are also found in a lot of other sources. This is a major challenge when trying to study the health effects of diesel exhaust.

At work

People with some of the highest work exposures include truck drivers, toll booth workers, miners, forklift drivers and other heavy machinery operators, railroad and dock workers, and garage workers and mechanics. Some farm workers also spend a lot of time around diesel exhaust.

Where you live and play

People can also be exposed to diesel exhaust where they live and play, although this is typically at lower levels than in the workplace. Exposures are highest where diesel traffic is heaviest, such as along major highways and in cities.

While traveling in a vehicle

Exposure to diesel exhaust may be higher, especially when traveling on roads with heavier truck or bus traffic. Commuting for work is a potential source of diesel exhaust exposure for many people. One particular area of concern is children’s exposures to diesel exhaust and other pollutants while riding in school buses, as the buses themselves typically run on diesel fuel.

Does diesel exhaust cause cancer?

Two main types of studies are used to try to figure out if a substance or exposure causes cancer.

• Studies in labs: In these studies, animals are exposed to a substance (often in very large doses) to see if it causes tumors or other health problems. Researchers might also expose normal cells in a lab dish to the substance to see if it causes the types of changes seen in cancer cells. It’s not always clear if the results from these types of studies will apply to humans, but lab studies are a good way to find out if a substance might possibly cause cancer.
• Studies in people: Another type of study looks at cancer rates in different groups of people. Such a study might compare the cancer rate in a group exposed to a substance to the cancer rate in a group not exposed to it, or compare it to the cancer rate in the general population. But sometimes it can be hard to know what the results of these studies mean, because many other factors might affect the results.

In most cases neither type of study provides enough evidence on its own, so researchers usually look at both lab-based and human studies when trying to figure out if something causes cancer.

Results of studies in the lab

In studies of cells done in lab dishes, diesel exhaust (as soot or chemical extracts) has been found to cause changes in the cells’ DNA. These types of changes are usually needed for cancer to develop, although not all substances that cause DNA changes also cause cancer.

Several studies have found that long-term, heavy exposure to diesel exhaust can cause lung cancer in lab animals such as rats.

Results of studies in people

It’s not easy to study the possible health effects of diesel exhaust in people. First, it is often very hard to correctly define and measure the level of exposure. It can also be hard to account for the other cancer risk factors that people exposed to diesel exhaust might have, such as smoking.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is the major cancer thought to be linked to diesel exhaust. Several studies of workers exposed to diesel exhaust have shown small but significant increases in risk of lung cancer. Men with the heaviest and most prolonged exposures, such as railroad workers, heavy equipment operators, miners, and truck drivers, have been found to have higher lung cancer death rates than unexposed workers. Based on the number of people exposed at work, diesel exhaust may pose a substantial health risk.

The possible link between lung cancer and exposure to diesel exhaust outside the workplace has not been studied extensively.

Other cancers

Several studies have looked for possible links between diesel exhaust and other cancers, including cancers of the bladder, larynx (voice box), esophagus, stomach, and pancreas. Studies have also looked for links to blood system cancers such as lymphomas and leukemias (including childhood leukemia). While some studies have found possible links, others have not. More research is needed to show if diesel exhaust exposure is linked to any of these other cancers.

What expert agencies say about diesel exhaust

Several national and international agencies study substances in the environment to determine if they can cause cancer. (A substance that causes cancer or helps cancer grow is called a carcinogen.) The American Cancer Society looks to these organizations to evaluate the risks based on evidence from laboratory, animal, and human research studies.

Some of these expert agencies have classified diesel exhaust as to whether it can cause cancer, based largely on the possible link to lung cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization (WHO). Its major goal is to identify causes of cancer. IARC classifies diesel engine exhaust as “carcinogenic to humans,” based on sufficient evidence that it is linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. IARC also notes that there is “some evidence of a positive association” between diesel exhaust and bladder cancer.

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is formed from parts of several different US government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The NTP has classified exposure to diesel exhaust particulates as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” based on limited evidence from studies in humans (mainly linking it to lung cancer) and supporting evidence from lab studies.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), an electronic database that contains information on human health effects from exposure to various substances in the environment. The EPA classifies diesel exhaust as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is part of the CDC that studies exposures in the workplace. NIOSH has determined that diesel exhaust is a “potential occupational carcinogen.”

(For more information on the classification systems used by these agencies, see Known and Probable Human Carcinogens.)

Can I reduce my exposure to diesel exhaust?

Diesel exhaust can cause health problems and can most likely increase the risk of lung cancer (and possibly other cancers).

Since most people’s exposure is from exhaust near highways and other roads, government regulations may be as important as personal choices in limiting exposure to potentially harmful chemicals in diesel exhaust. For example, as a result of EPA regulations and improvements in technology, new diesel engines give off much lower amounts of certain chemicals than older engines. Still, it’s not yet clear how much this might lower the risks, and many older diesel engines are still in use, so it makes sense to avoid exposure whenever possible.

At work

If you are exposed to diesel exhaust at work, there are ways to reduce or prevent exposures. Some of these measures can also help protect you from other chemical exposures that are likely to happen in the workplace.

If you work in or around vehicles that run on diesel fuel, you might be able to limit the amount of time you spend near engines while they are running. Limiting the time spent near idling engines may help lower your exposure to fumes.

Talk with your employer to be sure that you are protected adequately. Personal protective equipment, such as respirators, may be a key part of a workplace protective program. If needed, engineering changes, such as ventilating the exhaust away from where you breathe, can also be important.

For more information on preventing or reducing workplace exposures at your job, consult your company’s safety and health manager. If needed, you can get additional assistance from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the government agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety.

Where you live and play

If you are exposed to diesel exhaust fumes in your environment, you can take some of the same precautions. For example, try to avoid or limit spending time near large sources of diesel exhaust, such as near trucks and buses. Commuting to and from work exposes many people to possible sources of diesel exhaust, whether they are in a car or on some type of public transportation. For some people, working from home (telecommuting or teleworking) might be an option to lower their exposure, as well as to save money on commuting expenses.

On a governmental level, regulations such as the Clean Air Act and programs such as the EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign are designed to reduce diesel emissions from trucks and other large engines, lowering public exposure to diesel exhaust.

Another important program is Clean School Bus USA. Children can be exposed to diesel exhaust during school bus travel or when standing near running school buses outside of school. Clean School Bus USA brings together partners from business, education, transportation, and public-health organizations to reduce children’s exposure to bus-related air pollutants by aiming to:

• Reduce unnecessary school bus idling
• Replace older buses with newer, less-polluting buses
• Upgrade existing buses with technologies to reduce their emissions

• Written by
• Additional resources
• References

The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team

Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.

Dr. & Mrs. Anderson may schedule 2-5 additional days
(to be announced later) for In-service Training.
Visit our website at http://www.andersonschool.net
for updated information.

    The School Calendar is subject to change.

There are no make-up days
if school is closed due to
 inclement weather.

Inclement Weather Policy:
the school will close if Fort Worth I. S. D. is closed.

Lyrics/songs texts/paintings/articles
are property and copyright of their owners
and provided for educational purposes.

Copyright Disclaimer – Section 107 – Copyright Act 1976,
allowance is made for “fair use”
for purposes such as criticism, comment,
news reporting, teaching, scholarship,and research.
Fair use is permitted by copyright statute.

Non-profit, educational or personal use
tips the balance in favor of “fair use”.

© Copyright 1995-2020
Anderson Private School.

.

 

.

A Deepening Sea, Widening Sky / List of Human Carcinogens (Knowledge for Life)

“Parents often talk about
the younger generation
as if they
didn’t have anything
to do with it.”
– Dr. Haim Ginott

We stand on the edge of a deepening sea, widening sky.

Deep and abiding reflection
can become the beginning
of a conversation
with someone
you may have never met,
someone
you thought
you really knew,
a person
you did not know
was you.

My Dear Friends,
we stand on the very edge
of a deepening sea, widening sky,
as our precious Hearts whisper,
longing to send
an Infinite message of Life and Love,
to paint a Rainbow
without any end.

The boundary between
what is real
and what we dream,
what we can imagine,
is more porous
than it may seem.

The science fiction,
the fantasy
of what WE now can create,
will ask no less of us
than to suspend Belief
in ourselves and in each other,
in the future of Life
condemned to be brief.

“Somewhat ironically, science,
having set out to know
the ultimate nature of reality,
is discovering that,
not only is this world
beyond any direct experience,
it may also be inherently
unknowable.”
– Peter Russell

All probabilities may ALL exist at once.

Strange discoveries,
fantastical worlds of imagination,
will force the question
of basic Beliefs
about Life,
about Love,
about our Blessings
from Above.

Scientists at NASA have substantiated that
matter can indeed be in two places at once.
Quantum entanglement enables
particles millions of light-years apart
to be connected without physical contact.
Space-time can now be controlled;
teleportation is becoming a reality;
and virtual science has led us
closer to realizing
hyper-dimensional existence.
If you think
these are God like qualities,
you are right.
And they are being contemplated
by Children of God.

But,
no matter how far apart we are,
Hearts have always known
they are connected
in a very real way.

“I’d bring out my guitar
and a lot of those things
that made you feel apart
or distant,
disappeared.”
– John Denver

“You call all the stars by their names, O Lord, and yet you care for me.”                     – Betty H. Butler

But, the implausible,
the improbable,
the unbelievable,
can bring Life
to an end.

What once was purely
Philosophical,
lurks darkly in a new book
of Revelations,
of quantum research.

All probabilities
may ALL exist
at once,
buried in the same reality,
until measured or observed.
Mathematicians can prove it.
But,
My Dear Friends,
so can our
Love,
which can become truly
immeasurable,
like the Love
of God.

Out of nowhere
I heard a voice saying,
“Because I Love you”.
– Lene Jeanette Taralrud

Like clouds
flying across the sky,
shadows of insight and awareness
can shade the reality
in your eyes.
What the mind of man
can imagine,
he can now make.
But what is
the Human cost?
What will it
take?

    A Rainbow without any end.

We possess the art of engineering
the science of quantum change
and of physical reality itself,
to make the unreal
as real,
to bring Life
to the very edge
of never asking why,
to the bottom
of an infinitely deep sea,
or an ever widening
Sky.
It is up to you
and I,
and the question
we need to ask:

Why?

The mind of man
can climb any mountain
of Everestian heights,
cross any ocean
of uncharted depths,
redefine what we see,
what may
or may not be,
which is you
and me.

While triumphant we may feel,
believing in something implausible,
something unreal made real,
we may cause blades of grass
to encircle virtually unreal
pure white stones,
grass ever green
that grows beneath
names never made known.
And no one will ever knell
at the foot
of these graves
to extol the virtues
of those extant,
who belied Belief
in proclamations of proclivities
to do what became wrong,
diverse and strong,
simply because we could.
No one will shout
from any mountain top
“Once we
were here,
and now
we are ALL
gone.”

       We miss you Brix.

Down the mountain side
we will fall
into a valley hushed
and white with snow.
No one will be here
in sunshine to tell
of our journey upward,
with sweeter songs
that accompanied us.
For what was unknown
became real,
and what then was real
became, with us,
unknown:
a potential existence
that stilled every voice
that sang every song.

“But of the tree of the knowledge
of good and EVIL,
thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof,
thou shalt surely
die.”
– Genesis 2:17

Life
without the deep and abiding
reflection of Love,
simply
cannot exist,
cannot prevail.

The deep and abiding reflection of Love.

Unknowing
becomes known
because you exist.
But you are here
because of the
Love
that also existed.

Time is not
a natural feature
of our universe.
It is a concept
invented by us,
we so human in being.
There is no past behind us,
or physical future waiting
in the wings.

Nature
does not defend
the right to cry.
But cry we do
late into our night.
For the reality
of being
resides within each
Heart.
And so it was,
and always has
been.

Cherish the mind
that has a Heart.

Goodnight.

“Little Fly,
Thy summer’s play
My thoughtless hand
Has brushed away.
Am I not like thee?
Or art not thou A man like Me?
For I dance and drink and sing,
Till some blind hand
Shall brush my wing.”
– William Blake

The very edge of never asking why.

My Precious Friends,
I wish to share with you
an unbelievably LENGTHY list of
KNOWN and POSSIBLE
things that cause CANCER.
Please take the time to study this list!
We are at war with ourselves.
Yes,
the enemy is us.
Our lifestyle and
our society
and corporate greed
have caused this
horrendous condition.

We can look down
on the pathetic depths
to which corporate America
has led us in order to
make money.

But enough
is enough.

Millions of our Loved ones,
neighbors,
and fellow citizens
have perished in misery.

Please ARM yourself
with the knowledge
you and your precious children
NEED to survive.

Compare these two lists
with the labels on the products
you wear, drive with, eat,
sleep and sit on, breathe, live and work with,
allow into your home, on your yard or
in your car –
anywhere in your presence.

When you find items made with
these horrible products
THROW  THEM  AWAY!

There is NO need to die a
miserable and painful death.

To avoid a future far worse
than you can imagine,
get smart, get educated, get busy, get involved and
read ALL the labels.
You have the strength and wisdom
to get rid of the garbage
polluting your life
and the very precious
life of your child.

With every moment you take
to read every line below
you are saying:
I LOVE YOU.

You cannot Love someone more
than when you save that person’s
Life.
read more

From Danica Collins with the Underground Health Reporter:  read more
The 17th Century Ushered in Cancer. It wasn’t until the 17th century that the first reports of cancer appeared in scientific literature – such as cancer of the scrotum (found in chimney sweeps in 1775, caused by soot particles); and nasal cancer found in users of snuff (finely ground tobacco) in 1761.

The University of Manchester study indicates that cancer-causing factors exist only in modern, industrialized societies—and cancer is fueled by the excesses of modern life.

The food you eat … the air you breathe … the clothes you wear … the water you drink … the personal care products you use … the medications you take … the water you bathe in … virtually everything you consume, and everything you do – or are exposed to – causes cancer these days!
Here are Just a Few Factors Present in  Modern Life That Cause Cancer:

Tobacco (including second-hand and third-hand smoke)
Genetically modified food
Most laundry detergents
Commercial hair dyes
Air pollution (including carbon monoxide, methylene
chloride, and acrolein)
Granite countertops (which emit radon)
Rancid peanuts and seeds
Canola oil
Canned tomatoes
Food laced with pesticides
Chemicals from aerosol cans
Mammograms
X-Rays
Food microwaved in plastic containers (including
plastic wrap, the plastic trays that come with frozen
TV dinners, and even plastic baby bottles)
Environmental pollutants (such as asbestos, benzene, and
formaldehyde)

Professor Rosalie David, at the Faculty of Life Sciences, said:
“There is Nothing in the Natural Environment That Can Cause Cancer … So It Has to Be a Man-Made Disease.”

National Toxicology Program (NTP) is formed from parts of several different US government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The NTP updates its Report on Carcinogens (RoC) every few years.

The Report on Carcinogens identifies 2 groups of agents:

1. “Known to be human carcinogens”
   2. “Reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens”
   The current version of the RoC lists about 240 substances and exposures:Known human carcinogens
   International Agency for Research on CancerGroup 1: Carcinogenic to humans
   
   Acetaldehyde (from consuming alcoholic beverages)
   Acheson process, occupational exposure associated with
   Acid mists, strong inorganic
   Aflatoxins
   Alcoholic beverages
   Aluminum production
   4-Aminobiphenyl
   Areca nut
   Aristolochic acid (and plants containing it)
   Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds
   Asbestos (all forms) and mineral substances (such as TALC or vermiculite) that contain asbestos
   Auramine production
   Azathioprine
   Benzene
   Benzidine and dyes metabolized to benzidine
   Benzo[a]pyrene
   Beryllium and beryllium compounds
   Betel quid, with or without tobacco
   Bis(chloromethyl)ether and chloromethyl methyl ether (technical-grade)
   Busulfan
   1,3-Butadiene
   Cadmium and cadmium compounds
   Chlorambucil
   Chlornaphazine
   Chromium (VI) compounds
   Clonorchis sinensis (infection with), also known as the Chinese liver fluke
   Coal, indoor emissions from household combustion
   Coal gasification
   Coal-tar distillation
   Coal-tar pitch
   Coke production
   Cyclophosphamide
   Cyclosporine
   1,2-Dichloropropane
   Diethylstilbestrol
   Engine exhaust, diesel
   Epstein-Barr virus (infection with)
   Erionite
   Estrogen postmenopausal therapy
   Estrogen-progestogen postmenopausal therapy (combined)
   Estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives (combined) (Note: There is also convincing evidence in humans that these agents confer a protective effect against cancer in the endometrium and ovary)
   Ethanol in alcoholic beverages
   Ethylene oxide
   Etoposide
   Etoposide in combination with cisplatin and bleomycin
   Fission products, including strontium-90
   Fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole
   Formaldehyde
   Haematite mining (underground)
   Helicobacter pylori (infection with)
   Hepatitis B virus (chronic infection with)
   Hepatitis C virus (chronic infection with)
   Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (infection with)
   Human papilloma virus (HPV) types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 (infection with) (Note: The HPV types that have been classified as carcinogenic to humans can differ by an order of magnitude in risk for cervical cancer)
   Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) (infection with)
   Ionizing radiation (all types)
   Iron and steel founding (workplace exposure)
   Isopropyl alcohol manufacture using strong acids
   Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) (infection with)
   Leather dust
   Lindane
   Magenta production
   Melphalan
   Methoxsalen (8-methoxypsoralen) plus ultraviolet A radiation, also known as PUVA
   4,4′-Methylenebis(chloroaniline) (MOCA)
   Mineral oils, untreated or mildly treated
   MOPP and other combined chemotherapy including alkylating agents
   2-Naphthylamine
   Neutron radiation
   Nickel compounds
   N’-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(N-Nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)
   Opisthorchis viverrini (infection with), also known as the Southeast Asian liver fluke
   Outdoor air pollution (and the particulate matter in it)
   Painter (workplace exposure as a)
   3,4,5,3′,4′-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126)
   2,3,4,7,8-Pentachlorodibenzofuran
   Phenacetin (and mixtures containing it)
   Phosphorus-32, as phosphate
   Plutonium
   Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin-like, with a Toxicity Equivalency Factor according to WHO (PCBs 77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 156, 157, 167, 169, 189)
   Processed meat (consumption of)
   Radioiodines, including iodine-131
   Radionuclides, alpha-particle-emitting, internally deposited (Note: Specific radionuclides for which there is sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity to humans are also listed individually as Group 1 agents)
   Radionuclides, beta-particle-emitting, internally deposited (Note: Specific radionuclides for which there is sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity to humans are also listed individually as Group 1 agents)
   Radium-224 and its decay products
   Radium-226 and its decay products
   Radium-228 and its decay products
   Radon-222 and its decay products
   Rubber manufacturing industry
   Salted fish (Chinese-style)
   Schistosoma haematobium (infection with)
   Semustine (methyl-CCNU)
   Shale oils
   Silica dust, crystalline, in the form of quartz or cristobalite
   Solar radiation
   Soot (as found in workplace exposure of chimney sweeps)
   Sulfur mustard
   Tamoxifen (Note: There is also conclusive evidence that tamoxifen reduces the risk of contralateral breast cancer in breast cancer patients)
   2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin
   Thiotepa
   Thorium-232 and its decay products
   Tobacco, smokeless
   Tobacco smoke, secondhand
   Tobacco smoking
   ortho-Toluidine
   Treosulfan
   Trichloroethylene
   Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, including UVA, UVB, and UVC rays
   Ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices
   Vinyl chloride
   Wood dust
   X– and Gamma – radiation Probably carcinogenic to Humans
   Acrylamide
   Adriamycin (doxorubicin)
   Androgenic (anabolic) steroids
   Art glass, glass containers, and press ware (manufacture of)
   Azacitidine
   Biomass fuel (primarily wood), emissions from household combustion
   Bischloroethyl nitrosourea (BCNU), also known as carmustine
   Captafol
   Carbon electrode manufacture
   Chloral
   Chloral hydrate
   Chloramphenicol
   alpha-Chlorinated toluenes (benzal chloride, benzotrichloride, benzyl chloride) and benzoyl chloride (combined exposures)
   1-(2-Chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU)
   4-Chloro-ortho-toluidine
   Chlorozotocin
   Cisplatin
   Cobalt metal with tungsten carbide
   Creosotes
   Cyclopenta[cd]pyrene
   DDT (4,4′-Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
   Diazinon
   Dibenz[a,j]acridine
   Dibenz[a,h]anthracene
   Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene
   Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)
   Diethyl sulfate
   Dimethylcarbamoyl chloride
   1,2-Dimethylhydrazine
   Dimethyl sulfate
   Epichlorohydrin
   Ethyl carbamate (urethane)
   Ethylene dibromide
   N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea
   Frying, emissions from high-temperature
   Glycidol
   Glyphosate
   Hairdresser or barber (workplace exposure as)
   Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 68 (infection with)
   Indium phosphide
   IQ (2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline)
   Lead compounds, inorganic
   Malaria (caused by infection with Plasmodium falciparum)
   Malathion
   Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV)
   5-Methoxypsoralen
   Methyl methanesulfonate
   N-Methyl-N´-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)
   N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea
   Nitrate or nitrite (ingested) under conditions that result in endogenous nitrosation
   6-Nitrochrysene
   Nitrogen mustard
   1-Nitropyrene
   N-Nitrosodiethylamine
   N-Nitrosodimethylamine
   2-Nitrotoluene
   Non-arsenical insecticides (workplace exposures in spraying and application of)
   Petroleum refining (workplace exposures in)
   Pioglitazone
   Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs)
   Procarbazine hydrochloride
   1,3-Propane sultone
   Red meat (consumption of)
   Shiftwork that involves circadian disruption
   Silicon carbide whiskers
   Styrene-7,8-oxide
   Teniposide
   Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene)
   Tetrafluoroethylene
   Trichloroethylene
   1,2,3-Trichloropropane
   Tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate
   VERY  HOT  BEVERAGES
   Vinyl bromide (Note: For practical purposes, vinyl bromide should be considered to act similarly to the human carcinogen vinyl chloride.)
   Vinyl fluoride (Note: For practical purposes, vinyl fluoride should be considered to act similarly to the human carcinogen vinyl chloride.)

Thank you Sonny and Nancy for this wonderful photo!

Morning Has Broken / Our Adventure Trip Was Fun / Photos Are Here!

“Knowing what is real,
Can never be compared
To what may be.“
– Wm. C. Anderson

Every day is an opportunity for the Celebration of Life.

My Dear Friends,
Our children are alive,
And they are truly celebrating life.
What you are observing in the actions,
In the motion of your child,
Is called JOY.

Ian and Jack prepare for our new adventure. Little do they know just how exciting it will be.

And if you have forgotten what it is,
Calm yourself down,
Have another cup of coffee,
And just observe your child at play.
And remember, you and they,
Need do ABSOLUTELY nothing to be joyful.
You are born with joy in your heart.
And joy still resides within.

Just observe your child at play.

.
.
.
‘I shut my eyes
in order to see.’
                  – Paul Gamarin

Now, take three deep breaths,
More may be required if you are my age.
Close your eyes
And think back to a time
When joy filled your heart.

‘My eyes make pictures,
when they are shut.’
– Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The child you were is the child you are.

“Love will abide, take things in its stride. Sounds like good advice.”   – Rod McKuen

Yes, you can remember.
It may take longer now that you are older.
Do not think about the people
That caused you to be so miserable.
They do not know what they do.
Forgive them, and stay away from them,
Do not think about money,
The stress of your job,
Or troubling misadventures,
They may have created the person you are.
Just think about you as a child,
How happy you were,
How joyful you could be.

You are born with joy in your heart.

“To be joyful is the basic nature of life.
Joy is the spiritual dimension of happiness,
in which one begins to understand
one’s intrinsic value and place in the universe.
Accepting joy is a decision
To “go with the flow,”
To be grateful to be alive.”
                     – Osho

Just think – how joyful you could be.

Our children are alive, and they are truly celebrating life.

Keep your eyes closed.
And know that the child you were
Is the child you are,
The child you can be again.
Joy has been living in the basement of your heart.
And as long as you are alive,
It will always reside within,
Impatiently waiting for you,
Longing to be free,
Desperate to be the driving force
In your life again,
Longing to dance you
To end of Love.

“It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.”
              – Bette Midler

It is the morning of your life.

So what are you waiting for?
Forgive everyone of everything.
Become a child of God again.
Joy is one heartbeat away,
It lies on the other side of opening your eyes.
It is and always has been
The dream afraid of waking,
In the dark awaiting the dawn,
In the silence before the song.

‘Many eyes go through the meadow,
but few see the flowers in it.’
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

The motion of your child, Is called JOY.

Now open your eyes,
They have been closed in many ways
Far too long.
Open your heart and sing your song.
Look around you,
It is the morning of your life.
And like the beautiful and loved Christian hymn,
Morning Has Broken,
gently reminds us:

       God’s recreation of the new day.

Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing,
Praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing fresh from the world.

Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dew fall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight,
Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play.
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s recreation of the new day.

Yes, Morning has broken
Of the new day.
Songwriter: Mark Stevens

     Success has a price!

Happy to be in the moment.

        In love with life.

Recently, I quietly observed a child
Literally dancing, by himself, thinking he was all alone.
I have seen such joy in the actions of a child many times.
With his hands in the air, he was almost in a trance,
Being magically transformed into a life-force
Fascinated by the essence of being, of existence,
Of being in love with life.

It was a beautiful moment to again realize
That someone on this Earth was so joyful, so blissful,
So very, very happy at simply being,
Being in the here and now of being alive.
I cannot describe the joy it brought to my heart.
For a few moments, I too, was celebrating existence,
Happy to be in the moment.

  Joy still resides within.

Much of what we construe to be
Overly active children at play,
Is simply a beautiful
Celebration of Life.

We enjoyed the swimming pool.

We may think this is a matter of perspective, point of view.
No.
It is ontologically significant.
It is a matter of knowing what is REAL.

We toured the National Museum of the Pacific War.

It is disturbing to me, and many of you,
To discover so little understanding
About our children.
Those that are highly active
Are NOT in need of harmful and addictive,
Cancer causing chemical substances, like Ritalin,
To make them appear compliant, docile and almost comatose.
Why would you want to pour some chemical substance,
That you know next to absolutely nothing about,
On the Fire of their precious Life?

Lady Diana is looking for new experiences including the sinking of an enemy ship.

Some 40 years after the drug was first marketed,
carcinogenicity tests were conducted by
The National Toxicology Program,
The results of which were published in 1995.
Adult mice were fed Ritalin over a two-year period
At dosages close to those prescribed to children.
The mice developed a statistically significant incidence
Of liver abnormalities and tumors,
Including highly aggressive rare cancers
Known as hepatoblastomas.

How do I know Riley is going to make a great Daddy?

These findings are particularly disturbing
As the tests were conducted on adult,
Rather than young mice which would be expected
To be much more sensitive to carcinogenic effects.
The National Toxicology Program concluded that Ritalin
Is a “possible human carcinogen,”
The Food and Drug Administration admitted
That these findings signal “carcinogenic potential,”.
Well, the F. D. A. did
Keep Thalidomide off the market in this country.

Mrs. A has what is called, “High Expectations”!

Another study at the University of Texas Medical Branch
At Galveston found that every one of a dozen children
Treated for attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder
With methylphenidate (RITALIN)
Experienced a threefold increase
In levels of chromosome abnormalities –
Occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer.

“Do the levels of chromosome abnormalities go back to normal?”
“We don’t know.”
Said Randa A. El-Zein, M.D., Ph.D.,
Assistant professor of epidemiology
At M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. read more

Hang in there, it’s not going to get easier!

There is also suggestive evidence that Ritalin
Induces genetic damage in the blood cells
Of Ritalin-treated children.
A study published in Biological Psychiatry 
(Biol Psychiatry 60:1121�1130, 2006. Wang L., et al.)
Suggests that exposure of Ritalin in youth
May later disrupt development of brain cells.

There are ALSO concerns regarding
The higher rates of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,
As well as increased severity of these disorders in individuals
with a history of stimulant use for ADHD in childhood.

           Thalidomide resulted in horrendous and heartbreaking results. Be careful what you take and what you give to your precious children.

Folks, are you getting the picture?
Well, just type Ritalin and Cancer
Into a search engine.
Be prepared to get physically ill,
As you discover that MILLIONS
Of our precious children have been recklessly
Exposed to this horrible substance.

It reminds me of the Thalidomide tragedy,
(Photos above and below)
a drug first marketed
As an over-the-counter sedative:
It came to be used by pregnant women
In many countries during the late 1950s and early 1960s
To get a good night’s rest and
As a treatment for morning sickness. read more

Yes, Mother slept very well, and never got another good night’s sleep after the baby was born.

I cannot even begin to tell you of the horrendous and heartbreaking results of taking this best selling sleeping pill.
see more here

My dear friends,
If you possess a substance prescribed for your precious child
in order to change what is really normal behavior,
I beg you to return it to the pharmacist.

We toured the Nation Museum of the Pacific War.

Hand it back to that person and ask him or her
If they would be willing to take this drug long term.
The look you see on their face should have been
Yours,
When you refused to purchase it.
Now, ask that person to dispose of it properly,
In your presence,
So that it is not sold to some other uninformed parent.
And ask him or her to give you your money back.
This step is very important
Because MONEY is the driving force
Behind pushing these dangerous substances
(just as it was for the sale of Thalidomide).

I just thought I would drop in and see how you are doing.

Common Side Effects of Ritalin include:
Addiction
Nervousness including agitation, anxiety and irritability
Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
Decreased appetite
Headache
Stomach ache
Nausea
Dizziness
Heart palpitations

Other Serious Side Effects Include:
Slowing of growth (height and weight) in children
Seizures, mainly in patients with a history of seizures
Eyesight changes or blurred vision

These nameless students are in the Cave Without a Name.

Other Side Effects include (Hey, the list just goes on, and on):
High blood pressure
Rapid pulse rate (and other heart problems)
Tolerance (constant need to raise the dose)
Feelings of suspicion and paranoia
Visual hallucinations (seeing things that are not there,
probably including having a future!)
Depression
Cocaine craving
Dermatoses (infected or diseased skin)
Urinary tract infection
Infection or viral infection
Elevated ALT enzyme levels in the blood
(signaling liver damage) read more

Next time we will try something difficult!

ADVENTURE TRIP

We had a great time.
Our sincere gratitude to Gina Moreland
for planning this awesome, adventuresome trip.
Thank you again!

And my gratitude to Alexander Anderson for his,
as ever, kind assistance.

And my appreciation to Bruce Rodgers
For helping in so many ways.

And thanks to Riley Smelley
for your many efforts at assisting us.

And thank you students and parents,
One and all,
For the many acts of
Kindness and patience and compassion.

You are all deeply Loved and sincerely appreciated.

Why French Kids Don’t Have ADHD / ROLLERLAND WEST

Now, I think Dr. A is this old!

French parents believe that hearing the word “no”
rescues children from the
“tyranny of their own desires.”

The following information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist or healthcare professional.

(This information is from, “French children don’t need medications        to control their behavior”. Published on March 8, 2012                             by Marilyn Wedge, Ph.D. in Suffer the Children. click here to read full article)

In the United States, at least 9% of school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD / ADD, and are taking pharmaceutical medications. But in France, the percentage of kids medicated for ADHD is less than one half of one percent (.5%). Why has the epidemic of ADHD / ADD in the United States almost completely passed over children in France?

In the United States, psychiatrists consider ADHD to be a biological disorder with the preferred treatment also biological–psycho stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall.

Michael and Bailey enjoyed their time at the Monnig Meteorite Gallery at T. C. U.

French child psychiatrists, on the other hand, view ADHD as a medical condition that has psycho-social and situational causes. Instead of treating children’s focusing and behavioral problems with drugs, French doctors prefer to look for the underlying issue that is causing the child distress—not in the child’s brain but in the child’s social context. They then choose to treat the underlying social context problem with psychotherapy or family counseling. This is a very different way of seeing things from the American tendency to attribute all symptoms to a biological dysfunction such as a chemical imbalance in the child’s brain.

French child psychiatrists don’t use the same system of classification of childhood emotional problems as American psychiatrists. They do not use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM. According to Sociologist Manuel Vallee, the French Federation of Psychiatry developed an alternative classification system. The focus of this system (CFTMEA) is on identifying and addressing the underlying psychosocial causes of children’s symptoms, not on finding the best pharmacological bandaids with which to mask symptoms.

Information is sometimes found in strange places

To the extent that French clinicians are successful at finding and repairing what has gone awry in the child’s social context, fewer children qualify for the ADHD diagnosis. Moreover, the definition of ADHD is not as broad as in the American system, which, in my view, tends to “pathologize” much of what is normal childhood behavior. The DSM specifically does not consider underlying causes. It thus leads clinicians to give the ADHD diagnosis to a much larger number of symptomatic children, while also encouraging them to treat those children with pharmaceuticals.

The French holistic, psychosocial approach also allows for considering nutritional causes for ADHD symptoms – specifically the fact that the behavior of some children is worsened after eating foods with artificial colors, certain preservatives, and/or allergens. Clinicians who work with troubled children in this country—not to mention parents of many ADHD kids—are well aware that dietary interventions can sometimes help a child’s problem. In the United States, the strict focus on pharmaceutical treatment of ADHD, however, encourages clinicians to ignore the influence of dietary factors on children’s behavior.

And then, of course, there are the vastly different philosophies of child-rearing in the United States and France. These divergent philosophies could account for why French children are generally better-behaved than their American counterparts. Pamela Druckerman highlights the divergent parenting styles in her recent book, “Bringing up Bébé”. I believe her insights are relevant to a discussion of why French children are not diagnosed with ADHD in anything like the numbers we are seeing in the United States.

Kylie enjoys having her puppy with her.

From the time their children are born, French parents provide them with a firm cadre—the word means “frame” or “structure.” Children are not allowed, for example, to snack whenever they want. Mealtimes are at four specific times of the day. French children learn to wait patiently for meals, rather than eating snack foods whenever they feel like it. French babies, too, are expected to conform to limits set by parents and not by their crying selves. French parents let their babies “cry it out” if they are not sleeping through the night at the age of four months.

French parents, Druckerman observes, love their children just as much as American parents. They give them piano lessons, take them to sports practice, and encourage them to make the most of their talents. But French parents have a different philosophy of discipline. Consistently enforced limits, in the French view, make children feel safe and secure. Clear limits, they believe, actually make a child feel happier and safer—something that is congruent with my own experience as both a therapist and a parent. Finally, French parents believe that hearing the word “no” rescues children from the “tyranny of their own desires.”

As a therapist who works with children, it makes perfect sense to me that French children don’t need medications to control their behavior because they learn self-control early in their lives. The children grow up in families in which the rules are well-understood, and a clear family hierarchy is firmly in place. In French families parents are firmly in charge of their kids – instead of the American family style, in which the situation is all too often vice versa.

Marilyn Wedge is the author of “Pills Are Not for Preschoolers: A Drug-Free Approach for Troubled Kids”. I highly recommend this publication.

Website:MarilynWedgephd.com. Twitter: marilyn Wedge

Forty years after the drug was first marketed, carcinogenicity (cancer) tests were conducted by the National Toxicology Program, the results of which were published in 1995. Adult mice were fed Ritalin over a two-year period at dosages close to those prescribed to children. The mice developed a statistically significant incidence of liver abnormalities and tumors, including highly aggressive rare cancers known as hepatoblastomas.

The Physicians’ Desk Reference admits evidence on the carcinogenicity of Ritalin.

Apart from cancer risks, there is also suggestive evidence that Ritalin induces genetic damage in blood cells of Ritalin-treated children.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Ritalin SR, Ritalin LA, Concerta, Methylin, Methylin ER, Metadate CD, Metadate ER) prescribed for the treatment of ADHD and Narcolepsy), is classified by our government as a psychoactive drug with cocaine and morphine because it is highly addictive.

The long term effects of methylphenidate on the developing brain are

Alden enjoys reading                about meteorites.

unknown. Methylphenidate is derived from amphetamines, a powerful class of stimulant drugs, and is known on the street as rids, pineapple, uppers, jif, vitamin R and R-ball. Whatever its name, methylphenidate (Ritalin,etc.) is the pharmaceutical equivalent to cocaine.

Even under a physician’s care, methylphenidate addiction can occur because this medication is a highly addictive stimulant drug that works by increasing the dopamine levels in your brain. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), dependency can occur whether the medication is taken under a physician’s supervision or when it is taken recreationally, because your body becomes tolerant to the drug and higher dosages are required to achieve the same high.

In the United States, methylphenidate is classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule II controlled substance with a high potential for abuse. This classification is because of methylphenidate’s high addictive potential. When crushed and snorted, methylphenidate can have the same effects as cocaine in terms of the high it produces. This euphoria is highly addictive.

Methylphenidate addiction treatment is necessary when patients who have taken this medication to treat ADHD, suddenly develop seizures or hypertension. Methylphenidate addiction treatment must begin with detoxification. Methylphenidate detox is the process in which the patient stops using the drug abruptly, and as a result withdrawal symptoms occur. Because methylphenidate is often taken for long periods of time, the likelihood of physical or psychological dependence is high.

Stimulants like methylphenidate can also increase blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate to dangerous levels, and long term repeated use can further lead to acts of hostility and feelings of paranoia. At higher doses, methylphenidate can cause cardiovascular problems such as strokes.

Touching is believing!

Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities—occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects. Here is but one of the others:

Chromosome Abnormalities Raise Risk for Autism. Autism is growing at epidemic proportions, and so is the money being dedicated to genetic studies like this. According to one study, published Jan. 9 in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, a section of chromosome 16 is deleted or duplicated in about 1 percent of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). About 15 percent of autism cases have known genetic causes. This latest paper follows closely on the heels of another study, which was published in the Dec. 21 online issue of Human Molecular Genetics, that found the exact same deletion was significantly associated with autism.

Researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) reported their detection of the chromosome abnormalities in the journal Cancer Letters.

The researchers say that, to their knowledge, this is the first study addressing the potential chromosome-breaking effects associated with treatment of children with methylphenidate, the generic name for a group of drugs that includes Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate CD and others.

Most of the abnormalities found in the studied blood cells consisted of chromosome breaks “and a higher frequency of aberrations is reported to be associated with an increased risk of cancer down the line,” said lead author Randa A. El-Zein, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology at M.D. Anderson, who performed the blood studies

Concerns on Ritalin’s cancer risk are more acute in view of the millions of children treated annually with the drug and the escalating incidence of childhood cancer, by some 35% over the last few decades, quite apart from delayed risks of cancer in adult life. These risks are compounded by the availability of alternative safe and effective procedures, notably behavior modification and biofeedback.

There is no justification for prescribing Ritalin, even by highly qualified pediatricians and psychiatrists, unless parents have been explicitly informed of the drug’s cancer risks. Otherwise, prescribing Ritalin constitutes unarguable medical malpractice. This statement is from Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., emeritus Professor Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, and Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition.

My gratitude to Mr. Wes Oliver, Vice President of Robert W. Baird & Co.
Private Wealth Management, for bringing this
valuable information to our attention. Dr. and Mrs. Anderson are proud to recommend Wes Oliver to you for assistance with financial management and counseling. You may contact Wes at
woliver@rwbaird.com

               “There is no present or future, only the past,                 happening over and over again, now. “
– EUGENE O’NEILL, A Moon for the Misbegotten

Our docent, Nona Batiste, was wonderful

Due to popular demand and pleading looks from Mary Alice, coupled with a general feeling of excitement, we will meet at 10:00 a.m. at ROLLERLAND WEST, located at 7325 Calmont Avenue –Telephone: 817-244-8290. At approximately 11:15 a.m. will we will travel to McKinley’s Fine Bakery & Café, 1616 South University Drive, (817) 332-3242 to enjoy lunch. Following lunch we will travel to the Barnes and Noble Book Store one block south of the Hulen Shopping Center, 4801 Overton Ridge Blvd. Suite 100, Fort Worth – Telephone Number: (817) 346-2368.

Pickup will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Bookstore.

Emergency Telephone Number: 682-777-1908

If you arrive late, we shall have departed with your child(ren) and will drop them off at Good Will or Bad Will, depending upon their behavior, or return to school. Please call and let us know if you will be late and if you want them back.

Students are NOT to leave Rollerland, the restaurant or bookstore without the approval of Dr. or Mrs. Anderson.

FINANCIAL: Rollerskating $10.00 (Please pay Dr. A.) and lunch. Refreshments available: Yes! You may wish to purchase a book.

Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirts are required.

PARENTS / FRIENDS / RELATIVES are invited to participate on our trips.

         IMPORTANT DATES
Jan. 24                              Fort Worth Stock Show
Jan. 20 (Mon.)                 Dr. M. L. King Holiday
Feb. 1                                Tuition Deposit Due for 2014-15
Feb. 17 (Mon.)                President’s Day Holiday
Mar. 10-14                       Spring Break Holidays                        

A. n . d . e . r . s . o . n
Where precocious children are nurtured, appreciated & from time to time,        rollerskate!