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We got Cali this Peter Pan pop-up book for Christmas and found the Wizard of Oz a couple of weeks ago.  Both are designed by paper engineer, Robert Sabuda.  I have never in my life seen such enchanting books.  They make you feel like a kid all over again!

You can visit Sabuda’s website here and he has several pop-up projects you can print out and try for yourself.  The following pics don’t do the books justice, but you can get a general idea of sabuda’s work.

Husband’s surgery went well….had a few problems that resulted in someone coming to our house and putting him on a morphine drip…but other than that, stuff is cool.  Glad it’s over.  Lots of delayed Christmas pics coming soon!

While this country is armpit-deep in the middle of a health care reform mess, a “Government Task Force” announced yesterday that women don’t need mammograms until their 50’s and that previously encouraged self breast exams are pointless and essentially a waste of time and resources.  This announcement is the polar opposite of what we’ve been hearing from the American Cancer Society for the past two decades.  Shouldn’t we be more believing of a Cancer Society rather than a bunch of Government Task Masters only interested in saving the insurance companies some cash?

Which brings up the question that is no doubt at the forefront of every one’s mind:  Are mammograms and self breast exams truly ineffective?  Or are the insurance companies covering their butts before they announce that they will no longer be covering these expenses?  I’m betting it’s the latter.

I’m one of those “kids” in their 30’s who has already had a scare with breast cancer.  I found a lump while checking things out myself…had it looked at…and was told it was most likely fibrous tissue, but was given a referral for a mammogram if I chose to have one.  This process gave me confidence in my doctor and his willingness to put my health above the almighty dollar.  If he had told me, “Yeah, it feels kinda lumpy in there, but I’m not referring you for a mammogram for another 15 years because the government told me not to.”…..then I’d spout off a few unsavory comments and go find another doctor…STAT.  Wouldn’t we rather be safe than sorry?  I have no doubt that while we’re all in heated discussion over this new announcement, people in dark offices are making sure the legal jargon covers and protects all medical and insurance providers from a barrage of malpractice suits when people start dropping like flies.

For this year (2009), the American Cancer Society lists 194,280 new cases of breast cancer.  1,910 males, 192,370 females.  Along with these new cases, there have been 40,610 deaths as a direct result of breast cancer.  440 males, 40,170 females.  (Source)

The probability of breast cancer according to age has been estimated as:

By age 20:  1 out of 1,985

By age 30:  1 out of 229

By age 40:  1 out of 68

By age 50:  1 out of 37

By age 60:  1 out of 26

By age 70:  1 out of 24

Lifetime:  1 out of 8  (American Cancer Society)

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today.   According to the American Cancer Society, in general, breast cancer rates have risen about 30% in the past 25 years in western countries, due in part to increased screening which detects the cancer in earlier stages.  And now it makes sense to CUT BACK on these screenings, deeming them inneffective and unnecessary?  Unnecessary for who, exactly?  Insurance companies?  They already know that if this pending health care bill passes, they’re screwed.   Hm…so let’s see what’s costing us the most money….aha!  These women with their ailing boobies!  Let’s cut ‘em off.  No, no….not the boobies!  The hormonal women!  They over-react to everything anyway.

Sure, there are going to be abnormal readings and false alarms.  But wouldn’t we rather have those than a spike in deaths relating to untreated breast cancer?  This braniac Government appointed cancer panel claims these recommendation are more in line with the international guidelines.  The World Health Organization recommends to test every two years after the age of 50.

The American Cancer came back swinging with:

“The task force advice is based on its conclusion that screening 1,300 women in their 50s to save one life is worth it, but that screening 1,900 women in their 40s to save a life is not.”

That stance “is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives, just not enough of them.” (Yahoo News)

I wonder how far the insurance companies will go to save a buck?  It doesn’t help that a butt-load of politicians are getting fat kick-backs, resulting in their staunch and vocal support of  these “necessary cut-backs and recommendations”.   So if a woman does everything right….waits until she’s 50 for a mammogram, doesn’t put much weight in self-breast exams….what’s going to happen if she finds she’s riddled with cancer?  Will the insurace companies then say it’s a pre-existing condition?  Will they charge you higher rates or deny coverage altogether?  None of this is illegal.  None of it.  As a matter of fact….it’s darn good for business!  For every medical bill the insurance companies are forced to pay, that’s precious cash snatched from their grubby little hands.  And this snatching does not make them act kindly towards those with potentially hefty medical bills.

So…they stoop to the level of trash-picking paparazzi and start tapping into databases that reveal your history of prescriptions.  They make it pretty with a name like “Predictive Modeling”….a greedy guess on whether or not your potential future ailments will cost more than your premiums.  And it’s THIS type of calculating that results in your coverage being denied.

If you have HealthNet insurance, God help you if you get any kind of sick.  If you haven’t taken a prescription medication in a year or visited the emergency room in two years, you get a preferred rate. But if you have, you will either be charged a higher premium or declined altogether.  In regards to cancer, HealthNet will generally cover you, depending on what kind of cancer you have and if it’s been 10 years since you finished treatment.

UniCare (of Chicago) denied total coverage to a woman due to a “history of infertility”.  They made this decision based on two drugs the woman had taken to help her ovulate in order to have her two children:  Metformin and Actos.  Naturally, UniCare refused to discuss their decision, stating, “These are decisions made on a case-by-case basis.”

And back to good ole HealthNet…..they were forced to pay $9 million to a breast cancer patient whose chemotherapy was interrupted because the company annulled her policy.  These statistics are a mere tear-drop in the ocean of our available health care insurance companies.  If only someone “higher up” would grow a set and stand up to these menaces and for once, put the human condition in front of a financial bottom line.  Imagine what THAT would do for this country.

At this point, that’s all we CAN do…….imagine.

Okay, I think I’m done screwing around with things here.  Back to business, kids!

Once again, I seem to be having some coding issues with my blog.  So if the look and feel change a few times, be assured that I’m not in the throws of a manic fit….I’m just trying to get paid, yo!

Remember those plastic masks they used to make?  All hard and plastic-y.  Your face would smell like rotten toe by the end of the night and your tongue was mangled from trying to shove it through that jagged slit that was supposed to be a mouth.  And that rubber band thing!  The mask-strap!  I used to sneak up from behind, snap people in the back of the head, make ‘em drop their candy, then I’d snatch-n-dash.  And the actual costume part was nothing but a painted trash bag that tied in the back like you were headed into surgery.

Look at the costumes now!  If you don’t want to look like a hood-rat, then you’ll be paying, at the very LEAST, 20 bucks.  NO originality whatsoever.  That’s why I dig through people’s trash looking for scrap fabric and notions.  I don’t even care if my kid smells like hot garbage.  Times are tough! 

Here are some warm and fuzzy pictures for you to snuggle up with….back when Satan didn’t rule the earth, there weren’t razor blades in the Milky Ways and…well goshdarnit, it was clean, good old-fashioned family fun!

It’s fairly obvious throughout my blog that I’m a fan of “Altered” clothing (recycled).   I also know that my days are numbered when it comes to my kid and sewn clothing.  Eventually she’s gonna look at me with a sigh and say, “Mawm.  Kids are spitting at me and calling me “Guinea Pig” at school because of my home haircuts and homeade clothes.  Karl said my dress looked like Frankenstein yesterday.   You’re done Ma.  The party’s over.”   Then I’ll skulk off to cry whilst binging on mini pecan pies. 

In the meantime, I’m keepin’ on keepin’ on.  I made this for her last year.  Made it from two shirts, a pair of pants and some scrap material from her very first Halloween costume that I’d made her:

I made this one this year, but it’s WAY too big, so it’s currently on hold.  Made from one shirt and two skirts:

And this tunic was lined with some scrap Halloween material.  The front pocket was actually a bib I found at Target for a buck.  A little hat came with it too, but I haven’t figured that one out yet.  I think it’ll become a mini-bag. 

I’ve already started on the Christmas stuff and made Cali this Snow Family.  A bit raggedy due to the late hour of assembly.

Can you imagine living next door to the Heene family?  Oh, there’d be a 15 foot hedge around the perimeter of my property, you can be sure of it.  Now, my sources happen to be crack heads who drink heavily, but they give me good scoop on this sort of stuff on an inconsistent basis and I have no doubt that one of them was skulking around in the Heene’s crawlspace and overheard the family hashing out a plan that would ensure they stay in the public eye.

All of this jive talk went on between Richard (the Narcissistic Storm Chaser), Mayumi (the Spouse Swapper) and Falcon (the Boy Who Wished He Could Fly).

Richard:  May, Fal…get your butts down here now!  My giant brain has produced an idea so profound that we must act on it immediately.

Mayumi:  You’re an idiot, Richard.

Richard:  Okay.  Where’s Falcon?

*Mayumi shrugs with indifference.

Richard: FALCON!!  Get down here NOW!  Or no more Fritos!

*Falcon scurries out from underneath the kitchen table..where he sleeps.*

Richard:  Okay.  Here’s the deal.  Everything is slowing down.  The economy, May’s sex drive and our public exposure.  We can’t bleed into obscurity here.  Okay?  This family wasn’t made for obscurity.

Mayumi:  I don’t appreciate your comment about my fluctuating hormones, Dick.  You know I can’t help it.

Richard:  Shuddup May.

Falcon:  Why can’t I have no Fritos?

* Richard rolls his eyes at the obvious ignorance of his family.  He changes strategy and begins to talk slower and louder.*

Richard:  Falcon, son.  Your name is no accident.  You were born to fly.

*Falcon stands up a little straighter.*

Richard:  When you were 6 months old, your mother and I tried to throw you up into the eye of a tornado…you know, where the gentle calm was….but your MOTHER chickened out at the last minute and hid you back behind the shed.

Falcon:  Woooow.

Richard:  We’re not quitters are we, son?

Falcon:  No sir!

Richard:  You wanna fly, boy?  Huh?  Do ya?

Falcon:  Oh yeah, Daddy!  I wanna fly high up in the air!

Richard:  Where else would you fly, Falcon?  Sharpen up.

Mayumi:  I love you, Falkie.

*Mayumi messes us Falcon’s already messed up hair.*

Richard:  Shuddup May.  Now this is how it’s going down.  You know that balloon we’ve all been working on?  The one that will take us to see Jesus when milk goes over $6 a gallon?

*Mayumi and Falcon nod in unison.*

Richard:  Falcon, you’re gonna sneak up in there and me and your mom are gonna pretend we saw nothing, okay?

Falcon:  So I’m just going to pretend to fly up in it?

Richard:  Personally, I wanted you to stay in the balloon and ride the thing out, but your MOTHER here threatened to stop bathing and loving me long time…so…you won’t be flying, son.  Once again, your MOTHER stomps another dream.

Mayumi:  I love you, Falkie.  I don’t want anything bad to happen. 

Falcon:  But Ma….you made those boys on ‘Wife Swap’ ride down a 50 foot incline on their bikes!  And you laughed about it!

Mayumi:  Hun, that was for the show.

Falcon:  Oh.

Richard:  You two done?  Okay.  When I give the word, Falcon you go and start messin’ around the balloon.  Then I’ll come out and start hollerin’ at you about being a simpleton and you’ll start crying like a baby and go hide in a box in the attic.  Then we’ll send the thing up and pretend you’re stuck in it.  Cry…call the networks, start screaming your name and how we can’t go on living if our family is disected like a fomaldehyde bloated toad.

Falcon:  That’s it?  I get yelled at and have to go hide in a box?!  There’s not even ventilation up there!

Richard:  That’s it, boy. You’re taking one for the team.

Mayumi:  What about me?  What’s my job?

Richard:  Shuddup, May.  You ready, son?

Falcon:  Ready.

Richard:  Let’s do this thing.

NOTE:  All of this is a big fat lie created solely for your amusement…and mine.  Mostly mine.