DadTalk

Bisphenol A Present in All Tested Cans, Study Finds

Remember when parents freaked about Bisphenol A in their water bottles? Well, it turns out that it’s in our food cans, too, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The Consumer Reports study found that the chemical, which some believe causes behavioral problems as well as breast and prostrate prostate cancers in animals, was present in cans labeled “BPA-free” and “organic.”

The American Chemistry Council, which is in part funded by BPA makers, rejects the study as faulty.

This caught my attention in a blog post from Consumer Reports (the main article is behind the pay wall):

(Eden Foods President and Chairman Michael) Potter says that finding a supplier of cans that weren’t lined with BPA-containing epoxy resin was a difficult and frustrating process. “I made hundreds of calls to can manufacturers trying to find out what was in their can linings and I always ended up talking to an attorney in the Beltway who informed me to my amazement that it was a trade secret and I had no right to know,” says Potter.

Ah, good old trade secrets. Another way to say, “We’re poisoning you, folk. Just move right along.”

Food Recalls There’s Peanut Butter in Jelly Bellys?

While I don’t go after every Food and Drug Administration recall, this one caught my attention: The Jelly Belly Candy Company is warning that they left off peanut butter from one of their package labels.

Who would have though there was real peanut butter in any of the Jelly Belly products? I thought they were 100 percent artificial!

The recall, by the way, is for the 49 Flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans, which comes in a cylindrical 7.5-ounce package. Details:

The Jelly Belly 49 Flavors cylinder packages were shipped to approximately 200 independent stores nationwide from September 29 to October 30, 2009. Product was packaged in a clear 7.5-ounce acetate cylinder with white label on the bottom of the package with lot codes 090925, 090928, 090929 or 091001. UPC code 07156798939.

As many parents know, peanut allergies can kill kids, so be careful out there.

I’ll Miss My Former Newspaper

During my last semester in college, I began the ritual of applying for jobs.

To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew very little about the process – what to put in a cover letter or resume or what to say in an interview. I tried to avail myself of the college’s resources, but the placement director at the time repeatedly, and in insulting ways, blew me off.

Because my spring break would take me to the Phoenix area, I applied to every paper I could find in the Editor & Publisher Yearbook. The huge tome lists everything from circulation figures to how many computer screens were in the newsroom. Only paperclips weren’t counted.

One paper I applied to was called The Mesa Tribune. It had two sister newspapers, then known as The Chandler Arizonan and The Tempe Daily News.

Food Recalls Boston Parents Sue After Beef Sickens 2 Children

The families of two children sickened by a recent E. Coli outbreak, possibly in meat, are suing, reports The Boston Herald.

So far, two deaths and 28 illnesses have been linked to a recall of 545,699 pounds of Fairbank Farms beef. The recalled ground beef and beef patties were packaged from Sept. 14 to Sept. 16 and had “EST 492” stamped on the packages, reports The New York Times.

The products were sold in Northeastern states at grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s, Giant, Price Chopper, Wild Harvest and Shaw’s. (I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a bit nervous as to the number of times TJ’s shows up in recalls.)

While this meat dates back to September, it could still be in the freezer. For specific recall information, go here.

Keep Your Eyes Open, Son

After dropping Lael off at school, Seth – helmet and backpack on – is ready. He jumps on his scooter, as he does most days, and rolls down the driveway.

After chatting for a few moments, Seth zooms ahead, then waits at the street corner for me to catch up. I remind Seth to look all ways before crossing.

Seth again rolls ahead while my mind wanders to the issues of the day: wife home sick, early release day, technical problems at work, messages I need to send.

I hear metal slap against asphalt. I know even before I hear Seth wail that he’s crashed. I look up to find him crumpled on the street, his head and back pressing against the high, concrete curb.

The Joy of Camping

I have met a lot of people over the years who don’t like to camp. I often hear. “I have to have a roof over and a pillow under my head.” Some simply say, “Yuck.”

I am fortunate that my kids not only think camping is fun, they can’t wait to go again. Sure, it’s a lot of work, but to me, the rewards are worth the hassle.

In the top photo, the kids wrestle on our air mattress in the tent. Our kids play with a dog on the beach trail in the second (on the jump.) In the third, the kids explore a sandstone wall. In the bottom photo, my wife Anne hugs the kids in front of the campfire as the sun sets behind them.

Pelican, Flower and Pressed Sand

While I’ve gotten close to seagulls and pigeons over the year, I couldn’t believe my luck when this pelican allowed me to get within a couple feet of it on the San Clemente Pier. Sadly, I had my slow point and shoot rather than my SLR, but I can’t complain over the results.

Fun at the Beach

While the sun was slow to peek out during our camping trip at San Clemente State Beach, the kids really didn’t mind the grayness once it started to warm up. (The one day it rained on the beach, our shivering kids were NOT happy.)

We played the usual games of being chased by the surf, trying to grab rocks when the tide pulled back and building sand forts. The larger fort, which was decorated with our hard-earned rocks, lasted a long time before the tide came in.

On the last full day, I went on a long walk past Trestles, the famous surf beach. When I came back, Seth had figured out how to find sand crabs. Before long we had a large group of kids playing catch and release.

The Nesting Instinct

My kids are getting very good at keeping themselves busy – probably to avoid being henpecked – when we go camping. While mom slept and the rooster worked on food or some other task, the kids decided to build a bird’s nest.

I was so impressed with the result, I took the last three eggs out of the cooler and took a few photos. I’m also glad the kids are learning how to crack a yolk. (By the way, the kids say the egg came before the chicken.)

Cool Trees to Climb On

Arizona decidedly is not the best place to climb trees. Weak limbs and sharp thorns are not the best combination. The campground we chose has one of the finest collection of wind-swept climbing trees I have ever seen.

The trees also kept the campground cool in the heat and the ground dry in the rain.

Climbing the Walls

Although the ocean is the prime attraction at San Clemente State Beach, gray skies led to more walks and climbing during this trip. Seth and Lael just couldn’t pass up on the slot canyons, sandstone formations and treacherous stairs leading up to private residences.

Beach Camping With the Family

Well, I’m still married. That’s what I tell friends when they ask how went our big camping trip at San Clemente State Beach. You see, it’s the first time my wife ever slept outdoors in a tent with me (and the kids.)

Of course, I worked hard to make sure everything was in my favor:

• Running toilets
• Reasonably warm showers
• Big, new tent
• Cozy king-sized sleeping bag
• Ocean view
• Nearby city
• Lots and lots of good camp food
• Chocolate for all
• Lots and lots of marshmallows
• Lots to do

Perhaps my biggest failing? I forgot the wine. But, that’s why we had the city nearby. Trader Joe’s was about 3 miles away. Wine problem solved.

Actually, the biggest threat was two and a half days of nighttime rain. My wife was ready to bag it at one point, but I said, “It will clear up.”

Fortunately, it did and we ended the trip with two gorgeous days.

There are too many photos to show at once, so I’m going to spread them out over a couple days.

Hope you like.

Group Pressures Baby Einstein Into Offering Expanded DVD Refunds

As a result of legal pressure, the Walt Disney Company is now offering refunds to parents who bought “Baby Einstein” videos, reports The New York Times.

Disney bought the company after the videos became popular in the late 1990s and early days of this century. Indeed, Seth watched a review copy a couple of times while he was an infant.

The spinning shapes and colorful hand puppets didn’t seem to interest Seth that much. Instead, our son just liked the music. (Both of my kids are huge fans of The Little Einstein DVDs.)

PepsiCo Makes Smart Choice Moving Away from Food Label

One thing about big business, it usually knows what is in its best interest. Perhaps that’s why PepsiCo is backing away from the Smart Choices labeling program, according to The New York Times.

Smart Choices is a voluntary food labeling system in which a green checkmark can be put on products that qualify as “healthy.” I use quote marks because Froot Loops and other high-sugar products won the right to use the green checkmark.

It’s my guess that corporate pressure is also the reason Smart Choices is suspending most its operations until the Food and Drug Administration reveals its own front-of-the box labeling plan, as I mentioned in a recent post. “I regard it as a partial victory,” Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal tells the Times.

Indeed. Some brands, such as Kraft, plan to continue using the logo for the time being. But it’s nice to know that some companies, like PepsiCo have decided to stop insulting its customers when it comes to the Smart Choices logo.

FDA Labeling Plan Will Fail Unless It Is Mandatory

When it comes to deceptive marketing, you have to give the food industry credit for sheer balls. Did manufacturers really think they could create a labeling system that considered Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops a “Smart Choice?”

Apparently so, but it seems the Food and Drug Administration is (sort 0f) running out of patience. The agency announced this week it will consider setting standards for front-of-the-package nutrition labels, reports The New York Times. One possible outcome: those labels will contain bad news about the food products instead of only happy half-truths.

Apparently, the FDA is interested in a British labeling system that mimics traffic symbols for fat, saturated fats, sugars and salt. The system has been successful in England and Australia according to Grist.

I’m going to guess that Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops would receive a red light for sugar, but any system would be enhanced if unrefined starches and excessive chemical content were also rated.

One flagrant flaw in the FDA’s move is that such reporting would be voluntary. Only those companies wanting to use the FDA system, which could be in place by the end of the year, would have to follow the agency’s rules.

Under such a system, it’s likely that manufacturers will only sign up if they make healthy products, which will invalidate the entire worth of the stoplight system. The FDA giveth hope; the FDA taketh hope.

Food Recalls FDA Seeks to Shut Down Ready-to-Eat Sandwich-Maker

During the drive home from a recent camping trip, which I’ll be posting photos from soon, I thought about buying a pre-made sandwich at a gas station. Even though I was starving, I decided to pass noting the sorry-looking bread and lettuce.

Good thing, too, because I missed the Food and Drug Administration’s unusually strong action to shut down one of the companies that provides ready-to-eat sandwiches, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

What was allegedly wrong with the 44,000 sandwiches made each week by Rel’s? Enough that the FDA asked the U.S. Department of Justice to stop the company from making and selling food products.

Los Angeles Times Cutting Staff Again

More of my former colleagues at the Los Angeles Times are being laid off today, reports LaObserved. It’s not clear how many will lose their jobs, but I know of at least two so far.

I urge my former colleagues to look at TheJournalismShop as a way to find freelance work. The cost is minimal and it’s a great way to find out what your freelance options are.

Regardless if you join, my family wishes you the best of luck getting back on your feet. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact me at Brettdl (at) dadtalk (dot) net.

Just a Cute Photo

Willow Creek Resevoir 005, originally uploaded by brettdl.

Nothing special to say. Just playing around with my underused flickr account.

Columnist Doesn’t Get Anger Directed at the Super Rich

This post is a letter I’m sending to New York Times columnist Paul Sullivan after he wrote two Wealth Matters columns discussing the horrors of suddenly being worth $350 million instead of $500 million. Here is an excerpt for some context:

BEATING up on the wealthy seems to be the order of day. I suspected that. But a recent Wealth Matters column touched a particularly raw nerve. It looked at how even people with sizable fortunes were concerned about money in this recession and the impact that could have on the rest of us.

Readers rejected the attempt to understand the concerns of the rich. …

The vehemence in these e-mail messages made me wonder why so many people were furious at those who had more than they did. And why are the rich shouldering the blame for a collective run of bad decision-making? After all, many of the rich got there through hard work. And plenty of not-so-rich people bought homes, cars and electronics they could not afford and then defaulted on the debt, contributing to the crash last year.

Paul,

I think you fail to understand why Americans are upset in your article, All This Anger Against the Rich May Be Unhealthy.

First, if I hear one more whine about how hard the super rich work, I’m gonna fall off my chair laughing until I cry.

You insult construction workers, truck drivers, school teachers and librarians to even IMPLY that those who are rich work any harder than the less rich. Perhaps the rich work smarter, or choose more profitable careers, but please get off that tired, self-righteous high horse.

Consider: I have a friend who worked in education for more than a decade, and her salary never exceeded $40,000. I know a high school teacher who sells real estate in the summer just to provide his family with a reasonable middle class existence. Because these people work incredibly hard raising our children, they should be America’s best-paid citizens, not the worst.

Americans are painfully aware how stupid our compensation system is, especially when they look at CEO and sports-hero pay. Heck, read this story to see how our taxes are helping to make bankers fabulously wealthy. Americans looked the other while they could buy a nice house and felt some upward mobility, but that time is gone.

Meet the Tomboy Princess

Yes, my daughter loves to dress up as a princess, just as long as she can be a tomboy as well. These photos are from her best friend’s recent birthday party.