Media Disinformation

I was sent this link by a regular reader. I'm posting it today as I think some of you might find it interesting.

Can Science Fight Media Disinformation, by Lawrence M. Krauss in Scientific American.

Cheers,
Rockinon

Theatre gone; Facade saved! Sad...

The facades of two, fine downtown buildings — the former Capitol Theatre and the former Bowles Lunch building — have been spared. Well, at least that of the Capitol. Well, at least part of it.

Whatever, The London Free Press sees this as a win-win event for the city and the developer involved. According to the paper ". . . these buildings were originally written off, considered too expensive to restore."

As I recall, the naysayers said the cost to restore the Capitol Theatre auditorium would have been prohibitive. Well, the auditorium was not saved. Perhaps the naysayers were more right than wrong and perhaps that is the reason these two buildings seen more demolition than restoration.

The Free Press congratulates the developer and the City of London for saving "a key part of our history" and doing it in a truly imaginative manner. And what was this imaginative manner? It was the demolition of the key part of the heritage theatre — the auditorium, the theatre itself. Paul Berton, editor-in-chief of the Free Press, admits ". . . the back end of the Capitol theatre is gone" and then quickly adds "at least the facade is safe."

Today the paper often refers to the Capitol Theatre as just the Capitol. The theatre part, the part with the 1400 seats at its opening in 1920, is now a parking lot.

The loss of the Capitol Theatre is a huge blow to London, and not just the downtown. Originally called the Allen Theatre, it was designed by the renown theatre architect C. Howard Crane. Crane was responsible for the design of some 250 theatres across North America. When you think of the Fox Theatre in Detroit, think of Crane. And the United Artist Theatres in Detroit or Los Angeles, take your pick, think of Crane again. (Architect Charles Howard Crane shown)

The Fox has been described as Hindu-Siamese-Byzantine or Far Eastern-Indian-Egyptian in design. The lavish theatre cost about $12 million to build in 1928. It underwent an $8.1 million restoration in 1988. Detroit can be proud. London? I'm not so sure.

In 1988 $8.1 million U.S. was about $10 million Canadian. Using the Bank of Canada Inflation Calculator, I learned that $10 million in 1988 would be $15.9 million in today's dollars. So, Detroit restored the entire Fox Theatre for just four times what it cost London to sort of save just two facades. (The restored Fox Theatre in Detroit is shown.)

According to The London Free Press, "the Bowles Lunch used to have a terracotta front, but 80% of the 400 tiles were damaged. The decision was made to demolish the original facade and rebuild it in carved stone.

Some descriptions of the Capitol Theatre mention its terracotta front and how the Bowles Lunch was made to match its neighbour. It is more accurate to say the Bowles Lunch facade was replaced — not restored.

The screen-grab is from The London Free Press story claiming "two side-by-side downtown London historic gems that came close to a date with the wrecker's ball have returned to their former glory." Oh? Look at the screen-grab. This is not the Fox Theatre restoration.

Berton tells us we are beginning to realize the potential in heritage buildings . . . "because they are unique and interesting . . ." Berton seems to have forgotten we are talking about facades here. There is nothing unique or interesting about the commercial space being swept by the construction worker.

Berton tells us that Londoners owe a debt of gratitude to the developer for showing his faith in these two structures. Faith in these two structures or a concern for the facades? The developer himself wrote in a letter to the city that some of the interior detailing in the old theatre was donated to the Park Theatre and some to the Aeolian Hall for use in renovation projects. (For that generosity we owe the developer a thank you.) Unfortunately this was done in preparation of the theatre's demolition, clearing the way for a long-planned parking lot.

According to the city, the developer's company acquired the Bowles Lunch building in August 2006 for $250,000 and the Capitol Theatre in June of 2006 for $890,000. From the city records posted online one learns an inquiry was made by the developer "with respect to possible demolition of the Capitol Theatre building" in late 2005. This was before the theatre had even been purchased. The developer ripped down the theatre three months after he gained control of the property.

Berton tells us, "If London is to thrive, these are the kinds of projects that will lead us into the future." I don't think so. Berton may not think much of "gargantuan movie theatres" but the old ones once found in downtown London did have some cool features — like screens and seats.
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You will notice that the developer's name has not been used in this post. The developer is not a bad person; the developer is a developer. He runs a profitable business and not a charity. And make no mistake, the facades were worth saving with the finished appearance actually quite good.

Just an old silver star...

It's just an old silver star, one point is broken and it has a couple of nasty holes from pins used to attach it to the top of the Christmas tree in years past.

It was a Christmas gift to me from a woman who worked at the Bartlet, MacDonald and Gow Department Store in Windsor, Ontario. I was only months old when she gave it to me and it would be years before I appreciated it.

But when I was old enough to notice the handmade silver star, I was quite taken with it. It was so well made. Very nicely crafted with no top, no bottom, and finished on both sides, it had no front or back.

Holding it in my hands was like holding the answer to a riddle: What is silver, has no front and no back but five tops? The Christmas star. When you're four it's an entertaining riddle.

Today Bartlet, MacDonald and Gow is gone. I believe one owner took his own life. My mother related the incident with far more detail but I was young and really didn't want to listen. The details are gone.

I no longer know the name of the woman who made the star and gave it to the little child of a man with whom she worked. Bartlet, MacDonald and Gow closed and the staff dispersed.

My mother, of course, would recall the lady's name if my mother were alive, but she isn't. My father passed on decades ago.

But, the life of the little star goes on. It sits at the top of my Christmas tree, an elastic band holding it tightly to an angel bought by my wife. It doesn't mind sharing the glory. In fact, it lets the angel take centre stage while it plays back-up.

Someday I'll fade away like the Bartlet, MacDonald and Gow owner but I hope without the dramatic flourish; I'll fade away more in the manner of my father, of my mother, and of the lady who made the little silver star.

But I'm going to show Fiona the little star. I'm going to show her how it spins and how it reflects the Christmas tree lights that now adorn our tree; Our tree because it is not just mine but it is also Fiona's and the family's.

Maybe the little star will create memories for Fiona, maybe she will breathe new life into Christmas memories so familiar to me and maybe, just maybe, my little Christmas star will sparkle brightly for years to come, and refuse to fade away.

Drugs demand respect: Including Tylenol

Sun Media's Mindelle Jacobs recently ended a column on the dangers of OxyContin saying, "A drug like OxyContin is markedly different than a drug like Tylenol 3." She also said in reference to OxyContin, ". . . people are unfortunately naive about the potential risks of such drugs." She could have as easily been referring to Tylenol 3.

Yesterday McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Johnson & Johnson company, announced it is lowering recommended maximum daily dose for Extra Strength Tylenol to reduce the risk of acetaminophen overdose. Other Tylenol products, such as Tylenol 3, will follow in 2012 with lowered recommended maximum daily doses.

Why the fuss? It has been reported that acetaminophen causes three times as many cases of acute liver failure (ALF) as all other drugs combined. It is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States, accounting for 39% of cases.

Most Tylenol overdosing cases are unintentional. People take multiple medications not realizing how many contain acetaminophen. (The active ingredient in Tylenol.) This accidental overdosing results in approximately 150 deaths annually in the U.S.

Here's a detailed list of some of the most commonly used drugs containing acetaminophen. Mix these drugs at your peril.

Actifed: Cold & Allergy, Sinus

Alka-Seltzer Plus: All Products

Anacin: Aspirin Free Formula

Benadryl: Allergy Sinus Headache; Severe Allergy & Sinus Headache

Comtrex: All Products

Contac: Severe Cold and Flu Maximum Strength Caplets, Non-Drowsy Caplets, Day & Night Cold & Flu

Coricidin: D Cold, Flu & Sinus Tablets, HBP Cold & Flu Tablets

Dimetapp: Non-Drowsy Flu Syrup

Dristan: Cold Multi-Symptom Formula

Drixoral: Allergy Sinus, Cold & Flu Excedrin®: All Products

Feverall: Suppositories

Goody’s Powders: All Products

Midol: Maximum Strength Menstrual Formula, Maximum Strength PMS Formula

NyQuil/DayQuil: Cold/Flu Relief Liquid and LiquiCaps

Pamprin: All Products

Percogesic: All Products

Robitussin: Cold, Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu, Multi-Symptom Honey Flu Liquid, Nighttime Honey Flu Liquid

Singlet: Tablets

Sinutab Sinus: Sinus Allergy Medication Maximum Strength Formula

Sudafed: Cold & Cough Liquid Caps, Cold & Sinus Liquid Caps, Severe Cold Caplets and Tablets, Sinus Caplets and Tablets

Tavist: Sinus Non-Drowsy Coated Caplets

TheraFlu: All Regular and Maximum Strength Caplets and Hot Liquid

Triaminic: Cold, Cough & Fever Liquid, Cough & Sore Throat Liquid, Cough & Sore Throat Softchews

Tylenol: Allergy Sinus Formula, Severe Allergy; Arthritis Pain Extended Relief; Cold Formula, Cold & Flu; Extra Strength Pain Reliever; Flu Formula; Maximum Strength Sore Throat Adult Liquid; PM Pain Reliever/Sleep Aid; Regular Strength; Sinus; Women’s Tylenol

Vanquish: Caplets

Vicks: Vicks 44M Cough, Cold & Flu Relief Liquid and Liquicap

Acetaminophen is the most commonly implicated drug in cases of acute liver failure (ALF), predominantly due to its widespread availability.

This may all come as a surprise but acetaminophen is not the only painkiller with serious side effects. According to the Canadian Medical Society Journal, sixteen thousand deaths a year in the United States and 1900 a year in Canada may be caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inducing gastric perforations, obstructions and bleeds.

Dr. Ike Iheanacho, editor of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, says: "The latest evidence shows . . . for every 3,300 people you treated for a year (with daily aspirin), you’d get one extra incident of gastrointestinal bleeding, which can be fatal."

According to Johns Hopkins: ". . . a narcotic pain reliever such as morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, or fentanyl . . . does not pose the health risks you face with NSAIDS (aspirin, Celebrex, ibuprofen) . . . studies show that (narcotic) abuse is rare among patients with chronic pain, and with newer, long-acting opioids that release controlled amounts of medication . . ."

Why are people not more knowledgeable? One reason may be that reporters are not all that knowledgeable. When it comes to drugs, reporters seem to deal more in fear than fact.

Increases in deaths from opioid drugs such as OxyContin may be linked to the volume of coverage such deaths receive in the news. According to a study from Children's Hospital Boston and the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill.

The study, "Breaking the News or Fueling the Epidemic? Temporal association between news media report volume and opioid-related mortality," found that spikes in media coverage often preceded an increase in deaths, suggesting that media coverage — even when negative — may have influenced opioid abuse.

This is the first time research has assessed the relationship between opioid abuse and the national news, according to senior investigator John Brownstein, Ph.D., of the Children's Hospital Informatics Program (CHIP) and Children's Division of Emergency Medicine. Although anecdotal information about a link between news reports and drug use date back to the 1950s, when amphetamine abuse was a common news topic.

The authors suggest that stories about drugs follow guidelines similar to what psychiatrists and professional journalism organizations recommend for stories about suicides; under those guidelines, specific details are withheld so as not to inspire copycat suicides.

"Specifics on how one might get high and how it feels are probably things that should be mentioned with caution or even left out of the news," Brownstein adds. "This is setting the stage for research around responsibility in the news."

A London Free Press / Sun Media Special Report informed readers what medications "contains higher levels of oxycodone" and went on to tell readers what they can do to bypass the time release mechanism built into the pills to force the immediate release of oxycodone.

What the paper didn't tell its readers was:

"What makes these (deaths from opiods) even more tragic is that overdoses involving opioids (drugs like heroin, morphine, Oxycontin, Vicodin) are usually slow killers. Victims can be revived without lasting effects if the antidote — a drug called naloxone (brand: Narcan) — is given early enough."

—  source: Maia Szalavitz writing in the Huffington Post:

When I worked at a newspaper, I used to argue the dangers of "shotgun drugstore remedies" should be addressed in the paper. I got nowhere. Today I feel slightly vindicated.

Is Green Public Transit a Myth?

I wrote the following post defending my Morgan ownership some months ago. Today the National Post had a story on rethinking green transportation and what the Post essentially called the clean public transit myth.

This could not be right I thought, and I googled the facts in their story; So far I have found that there is a lot of support for their attack on public transit.

I also discovered that their reporter, Kevin Libin, may not have developed the story on his own. I found lots of sources confirming Libin's position, but these sources are old and one would think Libin should have been aware of them. This may be a case of the MSM ripping off the blogging community.

Here is a post from the blog Brad Ideas and here is a link to the National Post article. What do you think? (I have already received comments and some excellent criticisms.)

My original defence of my Morgan.

It’s not cool to defend cars. They are nothing but polluting, carbon-belching, resource-consuming pigs. For getting to the store, you’re better off walking – it’s better for your health and the health of the world – or so we are told. For getting to Toronto, rapid transit is the answer and not the car.

I found all the above very easy to write as I kinda believe it. The other day I walked home from Westmount Mall swinging my purchase at my side. I like walking but, and it is a big but, I also like driving.

There, I’ve said it. I like driving, and not just any old car – nope – one particular old car. My soon to be 41-year-old Morgan roadster. She’s a feisty one, so I wouldn’t call her an ‘old girl’ and I certainly would never call her a pig. Never. If she overheard such remarks, she might get her proper English knickers all in a knot.

But she is a cheap date. She is easy on the pocket and relatively easy on the planet. Think about it. For more than four decades this car, this hunk of steel on wheels, has been taking me from A to B and delivering great pleasure while doing so.

She is willing to go almost anywhere if asked. She spent a Christmas in Kapuskasing braving winter in the Arctic watershed. She took my wife and me to San Francisco in 2005. She took my mother grocery shopping in the '60s and she takes me shopping in St. Jacobs today. There is one place she won’t go, and I won’t take her, and that’s the auto wrecker’s.

I confess, I have sent quite a number of cars to wrecker’s. I even drove one right to the devil’s door and got nothing more in return than spare change. But, these were not Morgans.

Morgans are special and in ways that may not be immediately evident. Please bear with me as I explain. Morgans are simply made. A steel, ladder frame onto which a strong, wooden frame is mounted. The steel body sections are attached to the wooden frame. They are hand-built.

I know what you’re thinking: “Wood? This car has a wooden frame?” To which I reply, “Yes, and much of the wood in my car is original.” Wood is a fine building material and has been in use in canoes, planes and homes for years. When it does deteriorate, it is easily replaced.

The steel in my car is solid and tough and long lasting – as it is in most cars. Eventually, steel rusts. But steel, if you are skilled, can be repaired – fully restored to original condition. My car has been restored. The rusty, diseased metal was removed and new, fresh metal welded into place.

My power steering has never required repair but then my power steering is an oversized Brooklands Bluemel steering wheel. The large diameter wheel uses the power of leverage – mechanical advantage – and leverage carries a lifetime guarantee. The steering wheel itself is another matter. After 41 years it needs some attention.

I like to say that if you added up all the stuff my car doesn’t have, you’d almost have another car. Power windows, no. It doesn’t even have window cranks. Why? I have side curtains.

Power brakes, no. With a car that doesn’t weigh a ton or a tonne, take your pick, my disk and drum combination works just fine. Power door locks, no, and when used in the winter the exterior door handles never freeze. Why not? You guessed it; I don’t have them.

This summer the Morgan Motor Company is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Yes, they are still making Morgans and they are available in many parts of the world. A tangle of bureaucratic rules keeps them from being imported into Canada and has kept new ones from entering the country for decades.

Being a centenarian doesn’t mean the Morgan folk are not forward looking. They have a fine web site. And they have a new, experimental hydrogen model. Zero emissions model. Cars in the future will pollute even less than my little four-cylinder gas sipper.

Tomorrow’s cars will be close to 100% recyclable. BMW has already publicly stated this as one of their goals. According to an article in the Independent: “Once proper disposal of vehicles becomes legally enforced, financial advantages will be drawn by owners of cars whose producers have invested most in maximising the number of re- useable parts, and in designing cars that are easy to take apart.” BMW plans to be competitive.

In the future, if BMW is correct, cars will encourage the repair and reuse of parts just like my old Morgan does today. Such reuse and repair will create employment for skilled, knowledgeable people. Good folk will get good jobs. The fellows that keep my Morgan on the road are like family to me.

I have logged more than a hundred thousand miles in my Morgan. Being small hasn’t stopped it from being useful. Think Smart Car. It may not be able to carry a family of six but that was never its intention. (I saw my first Smart Car in Nice in the south of France and immediately went looking for a car rental shop. My wife and I needed a car for a day and the Smart Car looked perfect.)

We may have paved over a lot of the earth but please don’t try to foist the blame onto my little Morgan. She hates the large freeways. She’s happiest on narrow, older roads. She delights in finding a way from here to there that is slow but fun. If you are in a hurry to get somewhere, you might be better off taking the train.

That’s right; owning a Morgan actually encourages the use of rapid transit. But it also encourages runs to Shaw’s dairy bar south of St. Thomas for a chocolate malted milk shake or a Sunday morning visit to Telegraph House in Port Stanley for a lovely brunch on the patio.

Oh, one last thing, my Morgan doesn’t do drive throughs.
Cars, small efficient cars like these Morgans have a role to play when taking a green approach to life.

No new blogs till Tuesday

Some pressing stuff has come up and blogging has been pushed to the back burner. One important thing is picking up the Morgan in Toronto. The mechanics say she is healthy enough to come home on her own power.

I love a winter drive in that car. Possibly will blog on the joys of hypothermia on Tuesday. The English knew how to build car heaters that work forever. Whether working or not, they put out the same amount of heat. Brilliant.

Also, would like to look at the changes in how many people are looking at copyright. What exactly is creative commons? I used a CC image the other day and could not find the code for CC. I found copyright, the c in a circle, but not creative commons.

And what is pop culture? Does it exist? Do we care? My local newspaper thinks enough of it to have a pop culture expert on staff who asks such important questions as: What television program or televised event will still be being watched in a 100 years?

Brings back thoughts of Man with a Camera, Johnny Jupiter, Boston Blackie, My Little Margie, Our Miss Brooks... Most have faded from memory and it didn't take 60 years.

If you haven't checked out the video on a healthy baby making the leap from newborn into baby, it follows this post.

And if you are interested in the impending death of The Great Lakes fisheries, continue to scroll down and you will come to a little blurb and a link to the Digital Journal where I have posted an opinion piece. I can get hits in the thousands posting to the DJ and so for stories like the Asian carp it is a better forum for getting out the word.

Cheers,
Have a nice day,
Rockinon.

Healthy

Today there is a video addition to an older post looking at life's milestones. There's age 13 and becoming a teen, there's age 16 and getting your driver's licence, there's 21, drinking, and 65, retiring, and . . . and then there's one of the most important milestones — three months. Yes, three months is a milestone.

Check this short, 40 second video of Fiona at three months. Watch her eyes grow as she twigs to the fact that she and mom are about to play a game and then see the laughter from the fun. If you're a parent, there are certain very important things you look for as your baby hits the three month mark. A baby's laugher indicates good health and is just one more reason why it makes a parent laugh with joy.

Motor skills: At first Fiona was a Wobbly Head. But little ones are exercise crazy and all that vigorous stretching and by three months all that kicking and stretching is beginning to pay off.  She is beginning to hold her head high, putting her Wobbly Head days behind her.

Vision: Most newborns focus best on objects about 12 inches away, or the distance to mom's face during a feeding. But by age three months, according to the experts, Fiona is ready for art. The experts agree that Fiona is ready to appreciate more complex stuff, like intricate, geometric Navajo designs in rich earth-tones. Her preference for a big, beautiful red painting done by a friend in Montreal is real. I am not imagining things. (Whew!)

Hearing: Even newborns respond to loud noises; They blink, act startled, even frown. But today Fiona responds with noticeable discernment. She smiles — a relaxed, contented smile — especially when mom or dad are speaking.

Communication: At three months communication skills are definitely non-verbal but they are there nevertheless. There is a new tone to the cries, the coos. One best pay attention or soon the tone will take a nasty turn and Fiona gets downright insistent: "Now, listen up!"

When pleased the little queen will measure out a smile and if bored with the present company she will decide to entertain herself by blowing bubbles. Waving hands and wiggling feet can be quite captivating. If you are going to hold Fiona's attention you've got to prove yourself a more interesting companion than her ten toes. This is not as easy as it sounds.

Who would have thought that the ability to savour the pleasures of bubble blowing would be an indication of healthy development?

Which brings me back to the walks I take with Fiona down the hall. The experts say simple conversation, and my conversation with Fiona can be as simple as they come, lays the groundwork for language development. Describing sights, smells and sounds around the house is good. Fiona may not understand a word but she is a sensitive little thing and can pick up stuff from just the tone of your voice. (I've actually used a firm tone to ask her to stop crying and she has stopped. I immediately headed for the hallway and the art to reward her good conduct.)

Which brings us to the flip-side of all this. Babies reach developmental milestones at different ages but by three months one should consult the baby's doctor if any of the following red flags are flying:

• No improvement in head control
• No attempts to lift the head when lying facedown
• Extreme floppiness
• Lack of response to sounds or visual cues, such as loud noises or bright lights
• Inability to focus on a caregiver's eyes
• Poor weight gain

 Like I said, Fiona has passed some important milestones.  :-)