Politics....

Ugh....
I officially withdraw myself from the American polticial system. They all suck. None of it makes a difference. Ugh.

I will elaborate later.

Why I Boycott Nestle

I have given up Crunch Bars, Stoffers, and Coffee Mate among many other products.
Why, you ask...
Simply put, Nestle kills babies. Think I am lying or overexaggerating? I'm not.
Unfamiliar with what I am talking about?
As I am sure you have realized...I am a HUGE lactivist. Meaning, I am a breastfeeding advocate and I would never feed formula. I believe in human milk for human babies. Both for the physical and emotional benefits. Breast is best and babies deserve the best. Part of my 'crunchy' attitude, but I refuse that crap in a can.

So, of all the companies that make formula, why boycott Nestle?
They do not follow advertising laws set forth by the United States and other countries. Why do these laws exist? To protect babies.
Formula cannot be sterilized and contains several potentially dangerous ingredients. So, especially in countries where purified drinking water is scarce, this can not only potentially harm or kill babies, it DOES kill babies.
Sadly, due to all the illegal advertising put forth by Nestle, in particular, mothers are misinformed about the dangerous effects that formula can have.

Don't believe me? Watch these...you'll be sitting here awhile but you will feel my passion even if you have never breastfed.

Formula For Disaster-Part One
Formula For Disaster-Part Two
Formula For Disaster-Part Three
Formula For Disaster-Part Four
Formula For Disaster-Part Five

Not only are they advertising tactics unethichal, they blantantly ignored advice of several sources when they distributed free formula samples to parts of Africa. We have all seen the informercials about the bad water quality and malnutrition in Africa specifically. Just imagine giving that polluted water to a baby. How can they rationalize this? I'll never understand.
The babies started getting sick from the consumption of the contaminated water, SURPRISE! Due to the extreme poverty, many mothers started watering it down to make it last longer. Of course, they were never advised that formula feeding would reduce their milk supply, so when they ran out of formula, they had little to no breastmilk left over and a lot of the babies died.

More recently, I family in Belgium sued Nestle because they fed their daughter contaminated formula (remember it can't be sterilized) and their daughter passed away. Ready for a shocking ending...they LOST! Nestle and the courts agreed, "Due to the intrinsic composition of formula, deaths from rare contamination are to be expected and accepted."
ACCEPTED?!?!?! Are you freaking kidding me? So, the can says, this isn't only full of sugary crap, it could be contaminated and kill your babies...be ready for it. Nice, real nice.

More and more people are boycotting Nestle all the time. It may only make a small differences, but I refuse to give our money to those bottom dwelling creeps.

Want to boycott Nestle? Heres a product list:
Coffee:
Alta Rica
Black Gold
Blend 37
Cap Colombie
Cappuccino
Caro
Decaff
Expresso
Fine Blend
Gold Blend
Kenjara
Nescafé Ice
Organic
Partners Blend

Dairy Products (including ice cream):
Carnation
Coffee-Mate
Dreyers
Edy’s
Extreme Viennois
Fussells
Ideal
LC1
Lyons Maid Ice Cream
Munch Bunch yoghurts
Nestle Ice Cream
Rowntree yoghurts and ice creams
Simply Double
Ski yogurts
Sveltesse yogurts
Tip-Top

Confectionaries & Snacks:
Aero
After Eights
Animal Bar
Baby Ruth
Baci Chocolate
Bit-O-Honey
Black Magic
Blue Riband
Breakaway
Bottle Caps
Butterfinger
Carlos V
Caramac
Chocolate Cuisine
*Colgate Dental Gum
Dairy Box
Dairy Crunch
Double Cream
Drifter
Dibs
Fab
Fruit Pastilles
Gobstoppers
Goobers
Heaven
Henri Nestlé Collection
Jellytots
Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip
Kit Kat
Kit Kat Chunky
La Lechena
Lion Bar
Libby’s
Matchmakers
Maxibon
Milky Bar
Munchies
Nips
Polo
Powerbar
Quality Street
Raisinets
Runts
Rolo
Rowntrees Fruit Gums
Smarties
Sno-Caps
Spree
Sweetarts
Toffee Crisp
Toffo
Tollhouse
Tooty Frooties
Tart N Tiny
Walnut Whip
Willy Wonka
Yorkie
100 Grand

Contact Lens Care:
Alcon

Mineral/Bottled Water:
Aqua Panna
Aqua Pods
Aquarel
Buxton
Calistoga
Contrex
Deer Park
Ice Mountain
Nestle Pure Life
Ozarka
Perrier
Poland Springs
Pow-wow
San Pellegrino
Santa Maria
Valvert
Vittel
Zephyfirhills

Other Beverages, Health Drinks, and Drink Mixes:
Abuelita
Additions
Build-up
Carnation Instant Breakfast
Crucial
Faa
Glytrol
Juicy Juice
Milo
Modulen Ibd
Nestlé Flavor Packets
Nesquick
Nestea
Nutren
Nutriheal
Nutrihep
Nutrirenal
Nutrivent
Peptamen
Probalance
Renalcal
Replete
Replete With Fiber
Ultrapak


Baby Products:
Nestle Good Start (formula)
Nan (formula)
Gerber


Processed Meals:
Albers
Buitoni pasta & canned foods
Chef-mate
Herta
Maggi
*Osem/Tivall
Stouffer’s
Hot Pockets
Lean Cuisine
Lean Pockets
Ortega
Croissant Pockets

Cereals:
Cheerios
Honey Nut Cheerios
Cinnamon and Golden Grahams
Clusters
Cookie Crisp
Shreddies
Fibre 1
Fitnesse
Force Flakes
Fruitful
Golden Nuggets
Life (only in Canada)
Nesquik cereal
Shredded Wheat including: Bitesize, Fruitful, Honey Nut
Shreddies: Coco and frosted

Cosmetics & Hair Care:
Biotherm
Body Shop
Cosmence
Garnier
Helena Rubenstein
Innéov
La Roche-Posay
Lancome
L'Oreal
Matrix
Maybelline
Metamorphosis
Plénitude
Redken

Pet Foods:
Arthur's
Alpo
Aquari-Yums
Bakers
Beggin’ Strips
Beneful
BETA
Busy Bone
Bonio
Cat Chow
Chew-Eez
Chew-Rific
Chunky
Deli-Cat
Dog Chow
Essentials
Faa
Fancy Feast
Felix
Fit N Trim
Friskies
Go-Cat
Go-dog
Gourmet
High Pro
Kibbles and Chunks
Kit ‘N Kaboodle
Kitten Chow
Might Dog
Moist & Meaty
Pro Plan
Puppy Chow
Purina
Tidy Cats (litter)
T Bonz
Tender Vittles
Spiller's
Vital Balance
Veterinary Diets
Whisker Lickin’s
Winalot
Yesterday’s News (litter)

Ingredients:
Buitoni
Trio
Tollhouse
Rowntrees Jellies
Minor’s
Ortega
Stouffer’s
Albers
KLIM
Libby’s
Maggi Seasonings
Nestle Dessert Toppings

Other:
Gerber Life Insurance
Jenny Craig

Do You Have A Little?

Religion. It isn't my favorite thing. I have often seen the worst part of faith. My life and the lives of those I love have been touched for the worst whether they realize it or not. Blind faith, the belief in something (usually religious) without any tangible basis or proof.
Due to my own experience with religion and faith, I tend to have a very cynical viewpoint on all relgions in general. I am spiritual and I do believe in God. I guess I am a reformed Agnostic because I believe in God but don't claim to have any idea how the whole thing works. I have a few ideas. Ideas can change and mold with time. Beliefs cannot, I don't like something so stationary.

I have to remember, though, that faith is not always a bad thing. Faith can change lives, and do it for the better. Oh well, what can I do but try my best to remember that things are rarely all good or all bad.
I was a cashier at an organic cafe when I was in high school and one of our regular customers gave me the New Testament, including Psalms and Proverbs. I still have it. He was a good man and I liked him alot. I keep it to remind me of the good the religion/faith combo can do.

Just another one of my human hypocricies I suppose.

BBBBBBB

I am an attachment parent. That means that I follow the seven basic principles of Attachment Parenting (AP), the seven baby b's. They are as follows: (for the technical defenitions click the title)

*Birth Bonding*
This is basically what it sounds like. As soon as baby is born, the new infant is placed on its mother's chest. It releases hormones to relieve mom and allows immediate, irreplaceable bonding. With my daughter, Audrey, this was not allowed to happen due to unneccesary medical intervention. I regret this greatly. Live and learn though. Next time around, I am shooting for a midwife/water birth combo. Audrey got to bond with daddy though, and I am so greatful for that.

*Breastfeeding*
Not only the best nutrition for baby, but the bond between baby and mother is cemented forever. I plan on letting Audrey self wean. It is the best possible thing for babies, and my little one deserves the best I can give.

*Babywearing*
Basically, wearing your baby in a sling of some sort throughout the day and anywhere you go. The closeness promotes a learning environment and familiarity. Audrey doesn't like the constriction of a sling so I usually just hold her. Talk about strong arms!! Sometimes she wants to sit alone though, and thats fine with me. :)

*Bedding Close to Baby*
I love co-sleeping. Nightime is a scary time for babies. All they know is suddenly at night, everyone disappears. Babies are learning about their world and abandonment is not a lesson I want them to learn behind the bars of a crib. Contrary to popular belief, there are certain techniques to make co-sleeping safe.

*Belief in Baby's Cry*
Babies cry for a reason. Whether hungry, tired, sleepy, or just seeking attention. They cry to communicate and I will never let her cry it out. Audrey deserves to have her needs met, emotional or physical.

*Beware the Baby Trainer*
Many people assign infants/toddlers schedules. Thus, parenting out of convience. Parenting is anything but a convienence. Why have a child if you don;t want your life to revolve around them?

*Balance*
AP is not a rigid set of rules. It is an approach to finding the best, most responsive way to parent your child. For me, that includes gentle discipline (no spanking) and a natural/organic lifestyle.

Barack and Roll

Oh, politics.
In my opinion, the entire world of politics has gone to hell. Every side is screwed and it all has to do with money. However, that is not going to change anytime soon.
In the end, though, it is always better to have a good guy than not. That said....
Vote For Change!
Despite my cynical view on politics, I like Barack Obama. He seems like a good guy that wants good things for America. Can he make things better? I'd love to think so. So I guess you could say this is my unofficial endorsement of Senator Obama. Woot, woot!

Nursing In Public

This isn't mine, but I love it!

The Primary NIP Myth: "The Right Not To Be Offended"
People suppose they have the right not to be made uncomfortable by seeing a baby nursing, but that is their desire, not the actual case. That kind of sense of entitlement is founded on a false premise.
There is no such thing as "The Right Not To Be Offended".
For example, if I am eating out and the man at the table next to me does something I find offensive, say, chews loudly with his mouth wide open, (which actually does make me sick and can ruin a meal for me) I can go over to his table and request for him to sit somewhere else, or I can ask the wait staff to have him finish his meal in the car, or possibly cover up with a tablecloth, right? We all know I'd be laughed out of the place if I responded that way, even though in my opinion, it is obvious he was being impolite. It isn't reasonable to believe that my opinion of his actions should obligate him to change his behavior, even though I wish he would. It isn't reasonable to believe that holding the opinion that breastfeeding is impolite means a mom should be obligated to avoid doing it in front of you or to do it in a way you find acceptable.
It is apparent that many people think they are entitled to have others meet their personal comfort needs, they seem to feel that rather than taking responsibility for their own discomfort if they see something they don't like, that the "offender" should then assume responsibility for making them more comfortable. Adults are capable of meeting their own comfort needs. All it takes on their part to avoid being uncomfortable is to look away. But rather than doing so, they choose not to meet their own needs and then blame someone else for their discomfort.
If you have eyes, and ears, the reality is that you will sometimes see and hear things that you would rather not. A desire to be comfortable with the way the babies around you are eating is a preference that no one else is obligated to accommodate. It's not a matter of politeness or courtesy - feeding a baby is neither impolite nor "inconsiderate" nor discourteous in itself. It is unrealistic and self-absorbed to expect someone else to meet your own petty comfort needs. The general public is not responsible for understanding and accommodating everyone elses personal preferences.
Whether I like seeing a baby breastfeeding or not, it's my responsibility to take care of my own comfort. It's not up to perfect strangers going about their business to see that I remain in my own personal comfort zone.
Copyright © Sher Maloney

Society's Tears

In spite of what people may tell you, tears are warm. Think about it. On the coldest day in the most freezing of rain, your painful tears slide down your face in heated desperation. Sadness keeps you warm. Its the wind that cools them off.
Society is evil. It makes prejudices and debt and terror and hatred. People say society has done well by us. It has created things such as government (which is always corrupt), education (which is always one sided), and religion (which is nothing more than a bad self-help program). Society makes drugs and alcohol and calls it evil, it's own products, made to take away the ever present sting that society leaves. It gives us curse words. Who is to say what words are dirty? Words are just a way to express thoughts and feelings. Who is to say what is right and wrong? Our so-called God? Different in every country? The everlasting oasis of true love that incites wars that kill millions of innocent people? You want to hear a nasty word, do you? SOCIETY.
Its all the same. seconds are nothing but days that can get dressed quickly. People can kill you without ever touching you...sometimes its the lack of touch that kills you. All that i am, all that I ever was, and all that I ever will be is locked up in some genetic coding I was born with. The same society that I mock in anger has altered me until I have become the same person that hates what made me.
Take me for who I am. No matter what made me this way. No matter who loved me, no matter who hurt me, just take me. I'll take you too.