Mother Talkers

Weekend Open Thread

by Elisa

Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:45:03 AM PDT

We are a day away from December so the holiday parties begin. We have two back-to-back kid birthday parties tomorrow. But starting a week from today, we have a litany of holiday parties, which has left me scrambling for childcare. With no grandparents in the area, it will be a combination of paid childcare and free care off the backs of our lovely friends.

An Actual Decent Pop Star: In a music market that fetishizes teen sluts, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks is a breath of fresh air. Sparks, who at 17 is the youngest Idol winner, said it was important to her to make an album that was accessible by people of all ages, according to an Associated Press report.

"I wasn't really sure what I wanted to sing about," Sparks said, "but I knew what I didn't want to sing about."

"I wanted to stay away from 'Oh, put your hands all over me'-type thing, because I haven't experienced that yet so the fact that I would sing it would be really dumb -- plus I don't feel comfortable singing stuff like that," Sparks, who turns 18 in December, said with a giggle.

It's that kind of wholesome charm, along with her powerhouse voice and striking good looks, that endeared her to "American Idol" audiences this year, making her the youngest winner in the TV phenomenon's six-season history after defeating semifinalist Blake Lewis. And on her Jive Records self-titled debut, record executives -- and Sparks herself -- wanted to make sure she retained that sweet-as-pie image.

Good for her. I hope she is able to maintain her values and not flash the rest of us like almost every single teen pop star before her.

A Stephen Hawking Kids Book: The genius physicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy co-wrote a children’s science book, according to the Today show website. This may be just the holiday gift for the budding scientist.

  • ::

More Reason to Get Sleep: Thanks to research by the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society will most likely add the graveyard shift at work as a “known and probable carcinogen” for cancer, according to MSN. Nearly 20 percent of the working population in developed countries work the night shift.

Scientists believe that late work hours disrupt production of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for suppressing tumor growth and is normally produced at night.

Light shuts down melatonin production, so people working in artificial light at night may have lower melatonin levels, which scientists think can raise their chances of developing cancer.

Sleep deprivation may also be a factor. People who work at night are not usually able to completely reverse their day and night cycles. "Night shift people tend to be day shift people who are trying to stay awake at night," said Mark Rea, director of the Light Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, who is not connected to IARC or its expert panel.

Not getting enough sleep makes your immune system vulnerable to attack, and less able to fight off potentially cancerous cells.

Maybe More Reason to Breastfeed: Our contributing editor Stacey just tackled a Slate piece in her blog Fussbucket, on whether breastfeeding actually increases IQ scores in babies.

(The answer is yes, but only if the baby has a certain gene.)

What else is in the news, MotherTalkers? What are you up to this weekend?

Tags: Jordin Sparks, holiday parties, cancer, graveyard shift, Stephen Hawking, breastfeeding, IQ scores, Fussbucket (all tags)

Permalink | 37 comments

  • Ugh (0 / 0)

    Ugh.  That Slate article made my head spin and I'm a scientist.

    My bet would be that even if the gene supposedly is connected to intelligence, it is the gene that is lending the boost to IQ and the boost from breastfeeding is still caught up in some socioeconomic issues, even though the researchers tried hard to control for those variable.

    But, without reading the original study, I would even question the gene's role in intelligence to begin with.  It's not like if you don't have the gene you are mentally retarded, so there is huge wiggle room here.

    This quote from the Slate article is plain crazy talk:

    Do we want to know who has this predisposition? (A test already exists.) If you were thinking about adopting a child who might have had some hard experiences, wouldn't you choose the child with the protective variant of the gene over the one without it? And what does that mean for the genetically unblessed kid? If you ran an adoption agency, would you give kids the test? Questions for the near future, or, really, for now.

     

    No, you would never give a test for this gene no matter what sinister purposes you had because it's still not that many IQ points.

    by NJmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:58:34 AM PDT

    • Good grief. who the heck cares (0 / 0)

      IQ points mean diddly.  I know people with genius IQs that can't figure out how to get their own cash out of an ATM machine -- seriously.  Just like no one in the real world cares about that KILLER paper you wrote on church imagery in John Donne's poems your junior year in college, I have never had one person in real life remotely interested in what my IQ is ..nor do I even KNOW what my IQ is...

      you know, breastfeed if you want to, don't breast feed if you don't want to , but enough with all the ooh my babie's gonna be so super smart studies.... really I'd like Liza to be a plumber  THEN she can really support me in my old age...as someone said once, when you call a plumber you don't say "how soon and how much' you just say 'how soon' ! LOL

      by MKatherine1966 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:12:41 AM PDT

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      • too true. (0 / 0)

        A few IQ points here or there will not make the difference between your child living a happy, productive life or not. I probably have more than a  few IQ points on DH but he earns twice as much as me because he found his niche. My dad has an extremely high IQ and emotionally, he's a mess.

        I hope DS becomes an electrician, myself. Just as high demand as plumbing but less chance he'll actually run into fecal matter.

        Yesterday he told me, "I can't wait til I'm big and I'll drive a car and learn how it works!" I consider this very positive. I never for one moment had an interest in how my car works-- it's magic as far as I know and I'm OK with that. But if DS wants to learn the science behind it, more power to him!

        by minnmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:30:14 AM PDT

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        • true (0 / 0)

          If you're IQ is 80, 87 is a good jump, but if you are already in normal range, 100 or so and up, I don't see how seven points is going to make you some sort of super success story.

          And who cares anyway, it's certainly no guarantee of happiness.

          And being a genius has its own burdens too.

          by NJmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:45:46 AM PDT

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        • Yes...my husband is the same way. (0 / 0)

          I have the highest IQ, in fact, I passed the MENSA test.  My husband comes in at 20 points lower.  However, he's had two very successful careers, one in which he was  self taught to a large degree.  Every day, he still continues to study, keep up and learn more.  He has determination like I've never seen.  I could be a really great Jeopardy contestant, though.

          My son is a junior in high school.  He's in an electrician's apprenticeship program.  He's not sure if he's going to continue down that route after he graduates or get a degree in electrical engineering first.  Either way, it suits me fine...now, if only I could talk one into becoming a mechanic!  We'd have many of our needs met in old age then.

          by tjb22 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 09:28:46 AM PDT

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          • Let's see, 7 kids (0 / 0)

            You're getting an electrician and a nurse .... now a lawyer, someone who can really cook and loves it, a CPA/financial planner, a contractor, and an elementary teacher, and your whole family is good to go for many of life's thornier challenges  :).

            by RachelD on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:33:11 AM PDT

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            • Yes, a nurse, (0 / 0)

              another daughter who's an architecture major, a daughter who manages a Hallmark gift shop, a son who's probably going to work towards becoming a paramedic, and now one who's in the electrician program...and you know, when can double our potential if we can talk all seven of them into marrying people with differing professions!  We might never have to actually pay for anything again!

              by tjb22 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 12:50:12 PM PDT

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              • Totally forgot about spouses! (0 / 0)

                Somebody has just got to marry someone who loves to, say, do all of the major holiday dinners.

                We all should marry someone like that :).

                by RachelD on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 01:06:09 PM PDT

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                • After Thanksgiving last week, that's (0 / 0)

                  what I'm hoping for...seriously, you would not believe the amount of food we went through!  A twenty pound turkey, 10 pounds of potatoes, 12 cans of greenbeans, two dozen deviled eggs,  five pies, a cheesecake and another cake, and ofcourse, the traditional stuffing and sweet potatoes.  All of my kids were here, with their significant others, of course, and a little later, several friends.  They were all here until after midnight and the eating never stopped.  My daughter is moving into her new house this weekend and said that maybe she might "do something during the holidays"...far be it from me to stand in her way!

                  So far, on the future spouse front we have a computer technician, a pharmacist and a future teacher...

                  by tjb22 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 01:14:31 PM PDT

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      • Seriously (0 / 0)

        A plumber is a great job and a hard one, probably need a pretty decent IQ for that one actually!

        by NJmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:43:25 AM PDT

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        • And lucrative! (0 / 0)

          Plumbers can make a fortune!  When my DD was very young, around 7 or 8 months, she was sitting with my dad and became utterly fascinated with a pipe joint he had sitting on the desk.  He came out to the kitchen and said to me "The good news is, she has a great attention span.  But she's going to be a plumber."  And I said "Great!  They make a lot of money!"

          by tessajp on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:49:17 PM PDT

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      • Well, my youngest daughter, who I could only (0 / 0)

        breast feed for about 6 or 8 weeks, is probably going to be the one with the highest IQ, if that means anything.  Her brother who is two years older than she is nursed until he was almost two.  He's very bright and learns well, too, but where he has it all over his supposedly IQ superior sister is in his work habits.  He's very meticulous, to the point of being downright anal retentive, in getting work done, just so, and turned in exactly on time.  

        by tjb22 on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 09:33:22 AM PDT

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    • What she said, and everybody else (0 / 0)

      I am really over this kind of pseudo-scientific thinking about genes. The thing is, our thinking about people and our problems goes in waves: for a long while (50s - 80s), the social environment was thought to be it. For those of us of a certain age, this is how we were educated to think about how people work - as social beings first.

      We're now in a long pendulum swing that is all about biological determinism. Everything is about a gene or a chemical imbalance and can be fixed with technology or drugs.

      I am unabashedly biased: what-ev-ah. I understand that some specific serious problems are solved with gene therapy and drugs, and that is truly amazing, that scientists can tackle certain kinds of problems. OTOH, when it comes to nitpicking things like IQ, aspects of personality, emotional health, and social behavior and genes: wha-ev-ah.

      by RachelD on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:48:19 AM PDT

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      • Yep (0 / 0)

        In fact, it's already been shown that decoding the human genome and gene-based targeted therapies haven't proven to be the wonder cure that everyone thought.  Why?  Because even if you know a gene is linked to some trait, then what do you do?  You can't fix DNA.  You still need a protein target.

        Personality, IQ, things like that, will never be decoded genetically in my opinion.

        by NJmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:54:59 AM PDT

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  • Let's see (0 / 0)

    this weeekend I have my RCIA rite of welcoming to do at Newman Hall Parish in Berkeley.  This means dressing up and getting to church by 9am...with toddler in tow.  38 weeks pregnant.  @@

    I've also scheduled a Lake Merritt walk with some friends.

    DH has his LEED exam (some environmental scientist thing) to take 9:30 am on Monday morning.

    What this means, of course, is that I'll go into labor on Sunday, and screwup all those plans.  So hey, I win either way.  :)

    And Elisa, once this little bundle of crazy is out, you and I should meet up somewhere.  With slings, ergos and a double stroller, DH and I would have a blast with Ari and Eli.  Have you been to Tumble & Tea on Telegraph?

    What do you mean, uh-oh? Toddler & baby pictures

    by round peg inna square hole on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 07:31:57 AM PDT

  • company party (0 / 0)

    DH's company holiday party is this weekend. We waver on whether we want to go or not, since it's a tech company but DH is in the tax dept -- so out of hundreds of people, he knows about five and once we've talked to all of them......

    But this year they are having a band that plays mostly 70s music [some 80s] and since we are 46 and nearly 49, that makes us pretty happy, so we are going and hoping to do a lot of dancing.

    Here's the band so you can see the kind of cheesy music I enjoy:

    http://www.myspace.com/...

    Oh, and our kids are going to some friends' house. We kept their kids a few weeks ago when they had a party to go to. Their DD is the age of our twins and their son is 2 years younger. Works out well for us and they are in the neighborhood.

    by Lisa in Austin on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 07:49:28 AM PDT

  • Jordin Sparks (0 / 0)

    My dd and I loved watching her and were thrilled she won American Idol.  She has an amazing voice and seems like a wonderful, balanced young woman.  How refreshing is that?

    When I was recooperating from my total knee replacement, it was Jordin's singing that I listened to especially in the dead of night when I thought the level of my pain was going to push me over some horrible edge.  Her song "On a Broken Wing" (i think that's the title) kept me sane during some very rough patches.  

    As for weekend plans -- Dh is down in San Diego. Dd and I had plans to fly there tomorrow to celebrate our granddaughter's 5th birthday.  But dh has gotten a horrible cold/flu and is flying back either today or early tomorrow so that we don't infect everyone at the party. Sigh.

    karen

    by karen m on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 08:10:47 AM PDT

    • Wow (0 / 0)

      Wow, isn't that awesome to find music that can get you through pain.  That is good stuff.

      How is the knew doing BTW?

      Too bad on the party, darn colds.  

      by NJmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 08:45:01 AM PDT

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      • oops (0 / 0)

        Oops meant how is the knee doing

        by NJmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 08:45:16 AM PDT

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      • Yes! And I'm so serious (0 / 0)

        about how much her singing and her spirit moved me when I was having tremendous trouble with postsurgery recovery.  The first 3 weeks were horrible.

        My knee is coming along fine, thank you.  It's been quite the journey, but I guess I should have expected it to be a longer haul than I would have wished.

        I heard it is POURING in San Diego, so even though I am disappointed, I'm relieved to not have to travel again right now.

        I'm off to the east coast next week and that is plenty of flying around for me.

        karen

        by karen m on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:32:52 AM PDT

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    • Her version of... (0 / 0)

      "these broken wings" was amazing! Yes, I knew she would win after that.

      by Elisa on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 08:50:38 AM PDT

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  • MIL again this weekend (0 / 0)

    and you know how happy that makes me.

    We are going over SIL's house for MIL's bday. Can't wait to hear what's wrong with all of us now.

    We were also supposed to take a road trip to see DH's grandma but they are predicting Big Snow. Then again, they do that about every other week between December and April, and we'll only get one snow storm the entire year anyway. So who knows.

    I have to say, I like Jordan Sparks. The song they're playing now is pretty cute. I hope she does well.

    by minnmom on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 08:11:08 AM PDT

  • Rain...and A NEW CAR!!! (0 / 0)

    It's raining for the first time since we moved to SoCal. I was running around the house trying to find a jacket and an umbrella...it felt foreign suddenly!

    My other big news is I'M GETTING A NEW CAR THIS WEEKEND!

    I still like my little sedan, which I've had since 1999. It's in fine shape and I'm not picky about what I drive. But the service engine light came on recently and the mechanic said we were looking at at least $1,300 in repairs. He also said we would probably be looking at a pretty constant stream of repairs from now on, since the car is just getting old. So we decided to bite the bullet and get a new one.

    Here's the car we're looking at. I love Nissans and can get one at fleet price through my company, so here goes nothing...

    by Erika on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 09:13:02 AM PDT

    • wow -- that car looks great! (0 / 0)

      Does it really start at $19,000?  That seems low for such a purchase....amazing.  Not that $19,000 isn't a lot of money, but sheesh, new and an SUV?

      karen

      by karen m on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:35:14 AM PDT

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      • yup, decent price AND a good-looking ride (0 / 0)

        Can't beat that.

        We will get a few extras and hike the price up to around $23K. It's also a small SUV and relatively fuel efficient...which I like. I don't want to be driving around in a honking big vehicle, that just isn't me.

        I looked at the base model and it was nice too, but I keep my cars for a long time so a decent sound system and other perks will be nice.

        The Rogue is new and looks just like a smaller version of the Nissan Murano, but much less pricey. I test drove it and liked it!

        I'm not much into cars but I must say I'm getting excited...

        by Erika on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:51:27 AM PDT

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        • I'm with you. (0 / 0)

          What I like about my own situation with cars is being beyond the phase where I was driving on re-treads and having blowouts on the freeways multiple times a year with no real financial cushion to deal with those types of unexpected mishaps.

          It's been a long time since those days, but they're easy to recall.  

          I'm not big into cars either, but I sure enjoy when a car works well and doesn't break down!  I've had my car about 4 years now and have loved it.  It's a Lexus 330 which has been amazingly comfortable and reliable --- that company gives great service as well.  I used to have a Yukon which just felt too big to me -- I sometimes miss that ability to have multiple kids in the car, but those days are fewer and far between now since my kids are older and drive themselves.

          Have fun with your new purchase.  

          karen

          by karen m on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11:58:22 AM PDT

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          • Thanks! (0 / 0)

            Orange County is the land of Mercedes and BMWs, but I still think my new Nissan will be pretty snazzy.

            Southern Californians are all about their cars (probably since they spend so much time in them) and tend to get a new one every few years or so. That has always seemed wasteful to me and I was actually planning to hang on to my old one a little longer. But with my daughter traveling with me I want something ultra-reliable, so a new car it is.

            I do feel fortunate to be able to afford a new, dependable car. I take good care of them so that they will hopefully take good care of me. :-)

            by Erika on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 12:12:54 PM PDT

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  • THANK YOU ELISA! (0 / 0)

    The Hawking book is a PERFECT gift for my DH, who was an astrophysics major at one point.  he'd love sharing with DD.  Thank you for pointing it out.

    My goal this weekend is to buy a winter coat that can handle the fifteen minute walk from the parking lot to the office building door.  This is a serious mission, vital to my survival for the next three months.

    by tessajp on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 02:51:32 PM PDT

  • My husband took both kids (0 / 0)

    to a birthday party without me. My dog and I got to go for a beautiful, sunny walk....ALONE! It's a good start to the weekend.

    by tarantula on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 01:07:44 PM PDT

Permalink | 37 comments