Nut allergies -- a Yuppie invention
span">Some kids really do have food allergies. But most just have bad reactions to their parents' mass hysteria.
Oh, really???
Well, below is my full response to Mr. Stein's Op-Ed piece, which I tried (unsuccessfully) posting on the LA Times website.
Unfortunately, at the time I kept getting an error message stating that it was "too long." Of course, I did have to fight the image of Mr. Stein sitting on the other side of the computer screen shooting down angry responses like rubber ducks at the county fair.
I even began "testing" the Los Angeles Times Comment Page by posting far shorter "messages" like:
"Dear Mr. Stein,
You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch."
But even that came back with an error message.
However, since none of these visualizations helped my blood pressure, I decided to just park my reaction right here on my own damn blog:
Dear Mr. Stein,
I see the windows of opportunity for viewer responding to your "piece" in today's paper closes at 5 p.m. today. Okay.
That's fine. I should be done sharpening all pointy objects in the vicinity, by then.
I'm bewildered that while so many qualified journalists have lost their jobs lately, you (miraculously) remain on the Los Angeles Time's payroll. For what? Churning out what can only be described as astonishingly ignorant, clearly desperate pleas for attention? I guess so.
I see the windows of opportunity for viewer responding to your "piece" in today's paper closes at 5 p.m. today. Okay.
That's fine. I should be done sharpening all pointy objects in the vicinity, by then.
I'm bewildered that while so many qualified journalists have lost their jobs lately, you (miraculously) remain on the Los Angeles Time's payroll. For what? Churning out what can only be described as astonishingly ignorant, clearly desperate pleas for attention? I guess so.
Your continued employment is based on what? Talent? Humor? Facts?
Uh, not last time I checked.
Let's take the question of your literary "talent."
Well, your own bio states you "lucked" into your former employment at TIME, but perhaps that was just a typo.
Let's consider that your literary employment exists because you are so darn funny.
Look, Larry David remains the only person who got away with making a joke about peanut allergies. For the record, you are no Larry David. Oh, and remember that time you were on Bill Maher?
Let's take the question of your literary "talent."
Well, your own bio states you "lucked" into your former employment at TIME, but perhaps that was just a typo.
Let's consider that your literary employment exists because you are so darn funny.
Look, Larry David remains the only person who got away with making a joke about peanut allergies. For the record, you are no Larry David. Oh, and remember that time you were on Bill Maher?
Neither, do we -- I rest my case.
And, then there's the evidence that your writing is informed with substantial medical or scientific facts.
Oh, I wish. If you had bothered to actually research and/or actually include any real facts in your hastily concocted, dopey diatribe against kids with nut allergies, you'd now actually be way too embarrassed to ever leave your (what I can only hope is a) roach-infested hovel.
And, then there's the evidence that your writing is informed with substantial medical or scientific facts.
Oh, I wish. If you had bothered to actually research and/or actually include any real facts in your hastily concocted, dopey diatribe against kids with nut allergies, you'd now actually be way too embarrassed to ever leave your (what I can only hope is a) roach-infested hovel.
I digress. Attacks on kids with life-threatening health conditions do that to me, I guess.
You say that the population for nut allergies is "tiny," but below is a link to a list of just some of the tragic fatalities as result of having a nut allergy.
I'm not sure these people's friends and families think this issue is quite as frivolous as you seem to:
Deaths due to fatal food allergies
Next time you want attention, try not to resort to acting like a schoolyard bully.
Sincerely, Louise Larsen
Louise On The Left
You say that the population for nut allergies is "tiny," but below is a link to a list of just some of the tragic fatalities as result of having a nut allergy.
I'm not sure these people's friends and families think this issue is quite as frivolous as you seem to:
Deaths due to fatal food allergies
Next time you want attention, try not to resort to acting like a schoolyard bully.
Sincerely, Louise Larsen
Louise On The Left
http://louiselarsen.blogspot.com/
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What can I say?
Do I have an opinion about this? Yes.
Am I biased? You bet.
Does my kid have a severe peanut allergy? Yes, she does.
She almost died in my arms when she was 15 months old. I don't think she was being hysterical or overreacting. Neither she or I knew about peanut allergies whatsoever in March 1997. It's hard to overreact to a reaction you've never seen before to a food you never knew caused something as frightening as anaphylaxis.
By the way, you know who also has a severe peanut allergy? My rheumatologist does. But he's biased, he works in "medicine."
She almost died in my arms when she was 15 months old. I don't think she was being hysterical or overreacting. Neither she or I knew about peanut allergies whatsoever in March 1997. It's hard to overreact to a reaction you've never seen before to a food you never knew caused something as frightening as anaphylaxis.
By the way, you know who also has a severe peanut allergy? My rheumatologist does. But he's biased, he works in "medicine."
Yeah, what does he know? He's Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine of Rheumatology at USC Keck School of Medicine.
Call me "hysterical," but, I don't think he's making things up about how lethal it is.
And I don't think the suddenly deadly rise in peanut allergies is being overstated by my allergist, also an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at USC specializing in Allergy and Immunology at USC, who has been on NPR regarding this subject. She did something different that time, she used facts when she talked about it. She's craaaaaaaazy!
But, my point is, I don't think they're making things up. I don't think they're overreacting.
And I certainly don't think it's something to dismiss the way Mr. Stein has in today's LA Times.
But, you can't trust them, they all have a "severe peanut allergy." They are all "biased."
What really disturbs me the most about all this chatter is that by questioning this subject at all, and by taking a cavalier, pseudo-funny view about something as deadly as anaphylaxis, it actually lowers people's respect for taking precautions about it. Or it could.
What really disturbs me the most about all this chatter is that by questioning this subject at all, and by taking a cavalier, pseudo-funny view about something as deadly as anaphylaxis, it actually lowers people's respect for taking precautions about it. Or it could.
And that kind of thinking could endanger people's lives. Well, not my kid, Mr. Stein. No way. Don't agree? Call me. My daughter and I would love to take you to a (peanut-free) lunch and talk to you in person.
Given that I've just asked the devil to lunch, I thought I'd share some information regarding his bio as printed on the Los Angeles Times website. Naturally, it wouldn't let me copy and paste it, so I chose to just include some of the highlights:
Joel Stein is desperate for attention. (?!) ...Two years later he lucked into a job as a staff writer for Time magazine, (?!) where over seven and a half years he wrote a dozen cover stories ...
Being desperate for attention, (?!)...
... After teaching a class in humor (?!) , he moved to L.A. at the beginning of 2005 to write a column for the Los Angeles Times. He still contributes to Time and whatever magazines allow him to. But his heart belongs to you, L.A. Times reader. Only to you.
Joel Stein is desperate for attention. (?!) ...Two years later he lucked into a job as a staff writer for Time magazine, (?!) where over seven and a half years he wrote a dozen cover stories ...
Being desperate for attention, (?!)...
... After teaching a class in humor (?!) , he moved to L.A. at the beginning of 2005 to write a column for the Los Angeles Times. He still contributes to Time and whatever magazines allow him to. But his heart belongs to you, L.A. Times reader. Only to you.
Right. Well, guess what? Your heart can't belong to me, because right now I think you're a jerk.
Of course, I'm open to meeting with you in person. Maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe you're not a bully.
Maybe you're not everything you appear to be in print.
Maybe you're not a bully.
Maybe you're not everything you appear to be in print.
