A coworker of mine recently posted an article warning of the eminent dangers posed by CFLs or Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs. (those power sipping twisty-twirly replacements for regular light bulbs) Having recently purchased a number of them in my never ending quest to reduce my energy consumption, I was initially quite alarmed. Were these supposedly environment saving devices actually ticking time-bombs waiting to go off? I knew that just like regular fluorescent lights, CFLs contain mercury, and I’d read about the problems of mercury and fish in the news. It seemed pretty clear that this was a problem until I read a page on the U.S. EPA’s website about mercury exposure. As it turns out, it’s not the pure elemental mercury (ie: the mercury you see in thermostats and don’t see in fluorescent bulbs) that’s really dangerous to humans, but rather another form of mercury called methylmercury that is very harmful to us. So, that’s great right? Unfortunately it’s not that simple. The way we humans generally come into contact with methylmercury is that we release elemental mercury into the environment. (mostly from the emissions of coal-fired power plants) The heavy metal element, with the help of rainwater gets deposited into soil and sediments where it gets converted by bacteria into methylmercury. Those bacteria get eaten by larger and larger organisms and eventually end up on our dinner table. So, back to the bulbs. They aren’t a direct threat, but we need to make sure we treat them properly. The problem is, for the most part, we probably aren’t doing that. So, if you’re using CFLs or regular fluorescent bulbs (and most of you probably at least use the latter) please make sure you aren’t just throwing the bulbs in the trash. Check with your local authorities to find out about recycling options and proper disposal practices. Maybe, just maybe we can save energy and the environment at the same time.
Tips to survive baby’s first week..
1) Even if the diaper is full, there’s more where that came from. Beware!
2) Remove socks and any other clothing around the diaper area before changing. (you might get lucky once, twice or even three times, but eventually she’s gonna get ‘cha.)
3) Have at least 2 (clean) spare pacifiers on hand at all times. They WILL go ballistic from time to time…
4) Mylicon: if you plan on getting any sleep, you’d better have some on hand…
5) When your newborn is nearly inconsolable, a motorized glider chair with music may be the answer.
Fatherhood
The day Nan and I have been waiting for 9 months to arrive, finally came this past Wednesday with the birth of our daughter Lela. It really is true what everyone says about it being a life changing event. I don’t even think I can really put it into words at this point, but it is truly wonderful. I have to admit it can also be pretty scary. We were on track for a natural delivery, but about half way through, Lela’s heartbeat slowed to the point that it worried the doctors and they ordered an emergency C-section. All of a sudden, there were about 10 people unhooking lines and equipment and prepping her for surgery. In about 30 seconds they had her out of the room and on the way to the operating room while I was told to wait. A little later a nurse came by with some scrubs to put on and they took me down to the O.R. The surgery was already in progress when I got there and in moments our baby girl emerged. Even though everything was fine, I was still worried for Nan for about the next hour until one of our Doctors came by and told me that she was doing well. The doctors did an amazing job, and Nan has been recovering much faster than anyone expected. We were released from the hospital on Friday. It’s been good to be home again. We’re still getting adjusted to our new schedule, but we’re doing pretty well considering. I’ve begun using the flickr account I setup months ago. I hope to have some of those pictures posted here soon.