"ICYMI Thursday" Christine Ohlman

I know I did -- shame on me.  Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez were at Cafe Nine on Saturday September 10th.  I need to pay more attention the world beyond my monitor.

"Christine Ohlman  • this queen of blue-eyed rock 'n' soul grew up loving equally the sweetness of a Memphis horn line and the raunch of an electric guitar riff, whether played by Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, or Pop Staples. She teased her blonde hair into a beehive in honor of Ronnie Spector and never looked back"

Republican for Rosa Speaks Out

h/t to Edward Anderson.
From the Hartford Courant, a Letter to the Editor published 9/9/11

In Rosa DeLauro's Defense  Chris DePino, East Haven

As the former Connecticut state Republican Party chairman, I am outraged at the response from your paper and the Connecticut Republican Party to congresswoman Rosa DeLauro's efforts to help her district recover from Tropical Storm Irene.

I live on Cosey Beach, the most devastated area of the state, and I have seen firsthand how people are hurting. Many are underinsured and suffering massive property losses and emotional distress.

I applaud U.S. Rep. DeLauro touring our area, and I know that she will do everything she can to help us.

Where she was when the storm stuck is not the issue to any of us who are experiencing the trauma of what this disaster brought to our community. What matters is how to recover from this storm.

Rosa is a friend to people. It is why Republicans like me support her even when they do not always agree with her. She is excellent, not perfect. She is a human being of substance, fairness and immense kindness.

To turn the suffering of our neighbors and community into a manufactured issue for political gain is inappropriate and wrong.

If I were still the chairman of the Connecticut State Republican Party, these kinds of political attacks would never be tolerated. It is a disgrace. Period.

Researcher launches teen contraceptive website

Friends, the mainstream media and the internet, all potentially unreliable sources, continue to be the way America's young adults find their health information. Research has found that while they trust health professionals and health educators, they often do not turn to them for information, especially when it comes to their sexual health.

In an attempt to provide a reliable and trustworthy source for reproductive health information for teenagers, one physician-researcher at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island has launched the website Ask A Doc RI.

"My thought was to bring the information to where the teenagers are, which is on the internet," says Vinita Goyal, MD, MPH, of Women & Infants' Center for Women's Primary Care. "Ask A Doc RI contains a variety of information on contraception and local clinical resources where youth can seek health care."

In addition, the website, which includes links to Healthy Kids Rhode Island and Women & Infants, fields anonymous questions on sexual health from teenagers. The questions are answered by one of five participating Women & Infants physicians, and the answers are posted online within 72 hours.

"Our outreach will target teenagers living in Rhode Island communities with high teen pregnancy rates – Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls and Woonsocket – to get this important information to them," Dr. Goyal explains, noting that information will be available in community health centers and through Healthy Kids Rhode Island coalition members working with underserved youth.

Ask A Doc RI will also serve as a research project for Dr. Goyal, who is Women & Infants' current Women's Reproductive Health Research scholar, a program sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development to protect research time for young doctors. There are limited studies specifically addressing the effectiveness of contraceptive education through the internet in promoting healthy behaviors. Confidential surveys will be given to teenagers asking questions on the site and the information will be collected as part of the research.

"Success of the project will be measured by the number of contraceptive queries obtained through the website," Dr. Goyal notes. "While it will be difficult to ascertain if contraceptive behavior is improved, it is expected that if the website serves as a useful educational tool for young women in Rhode Island, the number of queries posted will increase over time."

In addition to fielding questions on Ask A Doc RI, there are sections on the website containing general information on all available contraceptive options and frequently asked questions about contraception, as well as contact information on local health centers for teens interested in making an appointment or meeting face to face with a provider.

Unique to Ask A Doc RI will be a section with current contraceptive issues brought up by local and national media. Complete information will be supplied so teenagers can make the best decision for their sexual health.

"Many young women discontinue contraception over concerns about safety. Incomplete news reports about intrauterine devices, litigious commercials regarding the association of blood clots and oral contraceptive pill use, and other similar events have resulted in young women discontinuing effective methods of contraception without seeking alternative methods to prevent unplanned pregnancy," Dr. Goyal says.

Ask A Doc is sponsored by a grant from the Lalor Foundation, an organization that seeks to educate young women about human reproduction in order to broaden and enhance their options in life.

Ground turkey recalled again

From CBS News online    By David W Freeman
Cargill has issued a recall of about 185,000 pounds of ground turkey over fears the meat may be tainted with salmonella. The recall, which was announced on Sunday, came after a test revealed salmonella bacteria in a sample from the same Arkansas plant tied to a recall issued last month.


The second recall is much smaller than the one the company issued Aug. 3, which involved 36 million pounds of ground turkey. That recall followed a salmonella outbreak that federal health officials said had sickened 107 people in 31 states, killing one person.

No illnesses have been tied to the second recall, which was initiated after the positive test at the company's plant in Springdale, Ark., the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
[...]

The second recall involves trays of ground meat, patties and chubs, the USDA said. The products were distributed nationwide under the Kroger, Fresh HEB and Cargill's Honeysuckle White brands.
All ground turkey made at the Springdale plant has "P-963" or "963" on the package, in a USDA seal or perhaps on the cellophane[...]. Consumers who bought products bearing that identification number can call 888-812-1646 for instructions on what to do [...].

Government officials say even contaminated ground turkey is safe to eat if cooked to 165 degrees. But it's also important that raw meat be handled properly before it's cooked and that people wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling it. Turkey and other meats should also be properly refrigerated or frozen and leftovers heated.

Read CT News Junkie. That's all.

Be sure to read CT News Junkie's article on Chris Donovan's campaign to be Congressman from the 5th District of Connecticut. It includes some of the insider stuff on the redistricting issue.
Click here

To read my own, decidedly non-journalistic, view of the opening of the Donovan for Congress Meriden headquarters,
Click here.

Remembering Berry Berenson

This is how she looked when we lived on the same short block on West 21st Street in New York City. Laurie Frank also lived on the block. It was like a little village, in some ways. We felt protective of her because she was married to someone famous. In fact, she was herself famous in certain circles. 

Berry was a young mother, although older than me, with 2 very cute boys. She was a sweet natured woman, always laughing. The block is called Seminary Block. The door to her house was painted bright red.

On September 11, 2001 I hadn't seen her in years. I still felt protective when they announced the passenger list for American Airlines Flight 11, flown by Mohamed Atta into the building that looked like the number 11. There was an error on the manifest. She was listed twice, as Berinthia Perkins (her real first name) and as something else. I phoned the travel agent we used in those days and asked him to straighten it out.

I was worried about her sons. It was one day before the anniversary of their father's death.


Here is an article written by someone else about Berry, which says a lot.