Nuclear Rays From My Halogen Haze

music, politics, art, Elvis apologism

California wins lawsuit against Airborne December 16, 2008

Filed under: Art,Comics,LAist,Other Stuff,Politics,Soda Pop — orangehairboy @ 7:29 pm

My buddy Greg has been saying this for years–a medicine “created by a school teacher” is not something to brag about and is no substitution for drugs crafted through the rigorous application of the scientific method. 

And now Airborne just lost their case with the State of California, and is going to have to significantly change their marketing strategy as well as their formula.  That’s a good thing, since not only is it not good for colds, but they know damned well that it’s not, and in fact, its potent dose of vitamins endanger the health of women and children:

Even after studies, Airborne knew that major ingredients in their products–Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Zinc–did not prevent colds. They continued to market their product as a cold remedy, says the Attorney General’s office. Even worse, they say, is that Airborne’s dosage of Vitamin A is 5,000 international units and when taken as recommended, one would consume 15,000. That’s a “potential health risk to vulnerable populations including children and pregnant women.”

No word on how Lloyd Dangle, the artist behind those scary germs on the Airborne packaging, is taking this.  I wonder if all the knock-offs of Airborne he so humorously dug into a couple years back will be getting similar legal treatment.

 

where the fuck were you when we needed you? November 17, 2008

Filed under: Gay and Lesbian stuff,LAist,Los Angeles,Performers,Politics — prodigalsonnybono @ 9:09 pm
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This comment on a recent photo essay in LAist about the No on 8 protest sums up exactly what’s going on in my mind.

What Ross hinted at is that yes, goddam it, where was this mass energy when we needed it? We’ve been living in a conservative, er, cesspool for years, yet for some reason, most people I know felt no compulsion to come down and help man the phones to prevent this from getting on the ballot, which is where we should have stopped it cold, or to rally opposition to it once it got there. Politics only works for the side of good if we’re proactive, not reactive. It’s so much easier to fight against a bad law if it never gets passed.

I would go one step further and say, seriously, shame on you if you are able-bodied and capable and didn’t at least try to help with this cause.  That goes double for all my homo friends who didn’t bother to help out.  Though I understand that many of y’all may not want to get married, at this juncture or in the foreseeable future, all your rights as equal citizens with equal protections are in grave danger now that Proposition 8 has passed.  And not only yours, but the rights of gays in other states–not just to marry, but, say, to teach kids, or coach little league, or leave a living will with their partner–are all going to be affected by this.  This was a litmus test for the rest of the country, as the Mormon church well knew, and as this bill goes, so too goes the public perception about the law’s role in curtailing queer equality.  Or any equality.

So, if you didn’t help out, you fucked up!  I’m not saying that the protests are not important, because better late than never, I guess.  But next time, open your damned eyes and try to swat away the flies of injustice before they lay their eggs in your face.

Update: There’s a silver lining here.  Apparently the hateful supporters of this bill were just as dumb about donating money as we were dumb about not donating time.

 

 
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