Michael Jackon’s passing and its disturbing resemblance to the loss of other stars like Elvis Presley and Judy Garland has put the spotlight on the abuse of prescription medication. Deepak Chopra expresses his anger at the doctors who acted as enablers and epitomize what he calls legalized drug pushing on Hollywood celebrities. These doctors not only enable but also introduce many vulnerable but wealthy patients to become addicted to pain medications and thus dependent on their services. This is how some doctors use their position to exploit the suffering of their patients for profit, power, and fame.
Presley’s personal physician, Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, concluded: “Elvis’s problem was that he didn’t see the wrong in it. He felt that by getting [pills] from a doctor, he wasn’t the common everyday junkie…” (Source)
What are medical schools doing to curb this tendency and to provide the appropriate ethics training that is relevant today? What will hold these doctors accountable? Will there soon be a centralized database where other doctors can look up what a patient is being prescribed so that they know where to draw the line and also stop patients from “doctor shopping”?
Judy Garland was found dead in her London bathroom by her husband in 1969. Coroner Gavin Thursdon said the cause of death was an accidental overdose of Seconal. (Source)
What kind of example does this set for our youth as well? When will we ever learn that we cannot overcome our suffering by taking pills? It seems that prescription drugs are used the same way as illegal drugs - as a way to avoid the root of one’s sufferings, something to keep one from facing oneself. However, it is inevitable that one must come to terms with the causes of their sufferings, engage with them in order to transform them into a catalyst for self-transformation. As Deepak Chopra suggested, there are many other safer, more effective ways to emotionally and psychologically heal, many resources, practices, and support groups available. However, if a patient does not want to face themselves, they will end up surrounding themselves with enablers and demons.
I am really looking forward to the opening of Food Inc., a film by Robert Kenner that “lifts the veil” on the nation’s food industry. Not only does it reveal the dangers of industrialized food, but it also challenges us as consumers to understand the political and environmental consequences of our food choices. Rather than be passive, mindless consumers, it is time to think and be aware of what kind of “system” we are buying into - after all, we vote with our wallets. The movie website offers many practical tips that are simple and if anything, only benefit our health.
To get more involved or learn some facts, there is also a companion book available that includes writings from Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, as well as Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, and others. It’s never too late to get involved, and if anything it’s never too early to teach our youth how to make better choices about food and health.
What is also great is that the idea of the film is to get the audience involved. Democracy, at least a good one, is a grassroots movements that can only be successful of people get involved. Therefore, if we are hungry for change, it’s important to find small ways that we can participate in daily life.
Wool felting
I was first introduced to the world of wool felting at a workshop at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in NYC. When I saw the Fashioning Felt exhibit I was so fascinated by the artists who created chairs, durable carpeting embedded with LED lights, and clothes using wool roving. The idea seemed so innovative, but has actually been around for centuries. Our tour guide told us about the characteristics of wool fiber, which were quite fascinating. Wool is flame retardant, a remarkable insulator from the cold, water repellent, durable, and is renewable and sustainable.
The exhibit also displays felt used in architectural design such as textured walls or decorative wall borders. The most intriguing aspect of wool is its texture and malleability, which allows artists to create very interesting pieces. It was so hard to refrain from reaching out and touching the artwork on display. The advantage to wool felting is that you don’t need very many supplies – just a felting needle and wool roving. You can also needle the wool onto other natural fibers such as linen.
So why is sustainability such an important issue?
Wool comes from sheep and shearing sheep for their wool involves a humane process, and the eventual sale of wool produces income for many people – a process that is embedded in agricultural economics of many countries including South Africa, China, New Zealand, and Australia, among many others. Some global growth programs send experienced people to teach people or developing communities how to tend their sheep, shear the sheep, and produce and market the wool for income.
The Year of Natural Fibers
The United Nations General Assembly announced that 2009 would be the “International Year of Natural Fibres” to raise awareness and demand for these types of fibers, and most importantly, “to promote the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fibres industries.”
The workshop really opened my eyes to wool fiber and production. I will definitely think twice about reaching for that acrylic yarn when I walk into a craft store.
