http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com Writings Of A Sensitive Man, A New Father, A New Urban Farmer About Our Health, Cancer, Local Food, The Economy & Beyond! Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:55:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/04/14/a-new-fathers-view-on-vaccinating-his-little-boy/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/04/14/a-new-fathers-view-on-vaccinating-his-little-boy/#comments Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:20:11 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1818 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/04/14/a-new-fathers-view-on-vaccinating-his-little-boy/feed/ 0 As a dad, my job in it’s most simple terms is to keep Sequoia alive. Anything beyond that is gravy, which is why yesterday was so brutal. Welcome to the joy ride that is round-one of vaccines at the pediatrician’s office. Oh joy. I have been dreading this day, secretly praying that I wouldn’t, in fact, have to decide yay or nay on whether to drench my boy’s pure body in pathogens. But this is the parent’s road, yes, to navigate complex questions on behalf of this little creature who can not yet fend for himself? I got into a bit of a verbal tussle with Dr. Moussa, whom we adore, regarding DTAP, HIB, and other scary acronyms for the myriad concoctions of vaccine cocktails. It was like we had brought Sequoia to a vaccine bar with bar tenders who could whip together protection against polio and hepatitis B in one delicious “shot”! It’s all a bit overwhelming getting your son drunk on vaccines. Even if secretly I knew I was going to cave, it wouldn’t be without a fight. See, I have a built-in skepticism about vaccines because when I was 8 months old, prevailing vaccine knowledge at the [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/31/receiving-the-call-that-someone-you-love-has-died/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/31/receiving-the-call-that-someone-you-love-has-died/#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:57:17 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1812 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/31/receiving-the-call-that-someone-you-love-has-died/feed/ 0 In recent years, since my own mother died, it is with accelerating regularity that I seem to receive the phone call or email informing me that someone I love has died. As I approach my own 34th birthday, I am realizing that this will not slow down as my community grows, so too with I have to hold space for increasing number of ‘departures’. Today, I learned that a father-figure of mine, Bernard Wales succumbed to his smoking-induced battle with enphazima and other degenerative diseases. Such emails shock one out of the normality of the day, and remind us how fragile it all is, this life. I can’t help but appreciate more than ever the extra effort, on a trip out east last November, I made to get to Philadelphia because he was in town from England to see doctors. He made me laugh has he always did, in his crotchety way, as we meandered through the tasks of feeding the cats that he and Kathleen, a surrogate mother to me, and he have been tending to for years. But it was my leaving that I will never forget. I hugged him, and then pointed at him and said, “It [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/30/gandhi-victories-wholefoods-stops-selling-over-fished-species-campbells-says-no-to-bpa/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/30/gandhi-victories-wholefoods-stops-selling-over-fished-species-campbells-says-no-to-bpa/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:41:19 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1805 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/30/gandhi-victories-wholefoods-stops-selling-over-fished-species-campbells-says-no-to-bpa/feed/ 0 Gandhi would be smiling today, I imagine, if he were sitting with me scanning the headlines: In two startling developments, both Whole Foods and Campbells Soup have succumbed to the demands of their consumers in not insignificant ways! Modern-day non-violent action can be as simple as voting with your wallets. Whole Foods declared that as of this year’s Earth Day, they will cease selling fish species which are labeled ‘red’ such as Atlantic Cod. They are the first national chain to make such a bold move and tip their hat to animal rights activists and environmentalists. The over-fishing of halibut, skate, and numerous other appetizing offerings could lead to the collapse of the oceanic ecosystem, with paramount potential outcomes, Whole Foods is acknowledging in their action. Of course, I love that they are waiting until earth day in order to get good publicity, when of course, they could simply end the practice immediately. But beggars can’t be choosers, I guess, and I would touch the feet of Wholefoods’ CEO right now if I had the opportunity. Similarly, Campbells Soup is bowing to moms across the country who are saying no to BPA, or bispenol-A, the harmful chemical that lines canned [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/28/does-pink-slime-in-beef-burgers-cross-the-line/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/28/does-pink-slime-in-beef-burgers-cross-the-line/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:16:32 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1790 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/28/does-pink-slime-in-beef-burgers-cross-the-line/feed/ 0 If I took left-over meat remnants, pulled it off the bone, spun it at high speeds to remove the fat, and sprayed it with ammonia hydroxide, would you eat it, much less feed it to your kids? I imagine the sane amongst us would say no. Yet such “Pink Slime” has been sold to Americans for years by Tyson Foods and others. If you needed a reason why I am a proud vegetarian raising a vegetarian child, pink slime would rank high on the list. It isn’t healthier or tastier than beef; it is simply cheaper and more profitable to manufacture than cow flesh. The trick, therefore, that these companies had to pull off was putting as much of the product into beef but not so much that the customer would notice. Sounds easy enough. That is, until this month, when 100,000′s of people signed petitions and all of sudden, the companies making the slime and adding it to beef stopped. Poof. Just like that. Magic. Voila. End of story, right? Well, not really. We know something is broken in the meat industry. We know the animals in industrial farms do not live sane lives. We know furthermore that the [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/23/the-sanctuary-of-a-gym-memberships-privilege/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/23/the-sanctuary-of-a-gym-memberships-privilege/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:30:34 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1758 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/23/the-sanctuary-of-a-gym-memberships-privilege/feed/ 0 Today, I read a yoga-teacher-friend Carrie’s Facebook post today about being harassed by a client at the gym where she teaches yoga to the point where she might choose to give up. This annoying fellow sounds like a disease who can only complain about everything he experiences her doing wrong. You know those people, the vulgar examples of privilege gone wrong. You see, when such people buy memberships to fancy, expensive gyms, they feel safe in the sanctuary of entitlement: it’s as if the sign and welcome mat at the front door say, “Come in, do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel better. Our employees are expendable.” In her case, he has latched on to the minutest details of her language, of her suggestions to her yoga students, as an excuse to dismantle her on a word-by-word basis. Being the sensitive person Carrie is, she of course is beating herself up, wanting to quit, and taking the shellacking from this pathetic instigator, assuming he is trying to show off his yogic bad-ass nature by correcting her. In fact, he is the furthest thing from a yogi as he displays his highly-attuned shark-like nose for Carrie’s emotional blood. [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/23/photographing-behind-the-veil/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/23/photographing-behind-the-veil/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:22:20 +0000 Jade Beall http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1749 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/23/photographing-behind-the-veil/feed/ 0 I am scared to share these photographs and writings with you. If asked why, I may be tempted to nonchalantly say I have no idea.  Except that would be a lie.  Deep down, I know why: Because I am a rebel with a cause.  Because I want to say fuck you to our society’s view on a woman’s body. Because I don’t want to be a photographer who only shows work of thin “perfect”-looking women.  Because it’s my belief that a body with curves and butt-dimples which has just given birth to another human should also be praised and seen as beautiful. I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy with my now-5-week old son Sequoia Narayan.  If feeling self-conscious on the road to getting bigger daily heading into his birth was scary, I am realizing it was nothing compared to how I feel in my body without the excuse of a growing human inside. Now I simply feel fat. I know this may expose me to a host of responses ranging from pity to jealous anger. But it is my truth. I had been active until the morning I went into labor, ate mostly greens and rarely indulged in sweets!  ”So what [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/05/cancer-chemicals-coca-cola/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/05/cancer-chemicals-coca-cola/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:32:46 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1714 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/05/cancer-chemicals-coca-cola/feed/ 0 I can still remember the first time I watched a younger cousin of mine in Upstate New York, two years old at the time, zealously sucking from the straw of a McDonald’s vat-like cup of Coke. I wasn’t vastly older but something just felt wrong about an infant already being on Coke’s teat. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to see her, clad in diapers, chugging a bulbous mammary gland as opposed to being exposed to deadly sugar water? This memory surfaced after reading an article today about 4-methylimidazole or 4-MEI as it is affectionately known in industry parlance, which Coke uses for that delicious-looking brown color it sports. Does chugging a can of coke give you cancer? Probably not. But do chemicals in our coveted proprietary coke recipe potentially create cancer in animals? Seems highly likely: A consumer group today derided the ‘soft’ drinks from Coke, Pepsi, and even Whole Foods 365-Degree brand for their use of 4-MEI. Not surprisingly, spokesmen for the major sugar-water companies reminded the public that no significant studies have proved beyond any shred of doubt that 4-MEI does in fact cause cancer in humans. Go figure. What I am realizing is how far from real [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/05/circumcision-the-empathy-deficit-in-leadership/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/05/circumcision-the-empathy-deficit-in-leadership/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:42:01 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1696 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/05/circumcision-the-empathy-deficit-in-leadership/feed/ 0 Is there a connection between Circumcision and the apparent Empathy Deficit ravaging the ranks of global leaders at virtually every level? This question sumates my myriad views on the challenges facing the human race. But to explain, I must first rewind: Growing up uncircumcised can feel like having a stigma branded inside your pants. Societal commentary from many sources can make us feel ‘dirty’, ‘potentially-diseased’, ‘mal-formed’, and other pleasantries that I shall cease to name. Throughout my life, I would avoid having to acknowledge that my parents had gone against the norms of the day and left me ‘intact’. You would be surprised at the regularity with which the subject of one’s penile hooding might come up in a single lifetime. Let’s just say, ‘infrequent’ isn’t the word I would use. After 33 years, however, I realized, just a few days ago, that I had never actually seen a circumcision! Because I am about to be a proud father for the first time, my partner Jade and I are in the throws of making the gazillion choices soon-to-be parents deliberate, such as whether to leave our little one, if it’s a boy, intact. I think most men make the silent [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/02/10-ways-to-make-someone-feel-unique/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/02/10-ways-to-make-someone-feel-unique/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:31:18 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1362 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2012/03/02/10-ways-to-make-someone-feel-unique/feed/ 7 For years, I have unconsciously been taking note of what people do that makes me feel special. Ever since I became aware of the subtle gifts these 10 actions are, I have done best to offer them to everyone I meet. Try them and see for yourself. They are simple and easy to internalize. And I try not to be stingy: everyone deserves for us to make them feel unique! 10 Ways To Make Someone Feel Unique 1. Ask Them Questions About Their Life This may sound simple and obvious to you, and maybe it is, but I have been shocked throughout my life at how many people only know how to talk about themselves. Just ask at least 1 question and see what happens. It gets people talking about not you. Funny how that works. Go crazy and ask them a bunch of questions. And then ask follow-up questions. Don’t be afraid to say “Hey, can you tell me more about your interest in…I don’t know much about that…” You will be amazed how instantly you have invited someone into your world by asking about theirs! People are so socially unaware that often they don’t know that asking questions [...] http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2011/10/04/an-homage-to-my-mother-2-years-after-her-death/ http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2011/10/04/an-homage-to-my-mother-2-years-after-her-death/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:07:43 +0000 Alok Appadurai http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/?p=1723 http://www.OneNationUnderMom.com/2011/10/04/an-homage-to-my-mother-2-years-after-her-death/feed/ 0 It was at ~4am on this day, October 4, two years ago that my mother, Dr. Carol A. Breckenridge, died in my arms. My father, Dr. Arjun Appadurai, and I, as well as her entire community of friends and loved ones, lost a true leader’s leader, a visionary, a force. My mother never ceased to stand up for what she believed in, even when it wasn’t the popular belief. She advocated for women, especially those that society wants to pigeon-hole into dead-end lives. And she was my mother. Her code was based on empathy, compassion, love, hard-work, and a belief the common good! My mother was a trail-blazer for women; she joined the Peacecorps to get out of small-town America and went to India; she traveled through Kabul and Hanoi in the late 60′s as a single woman, something unheard of at the time; and she tirelessly worked to advance the careers of 100′s of women throughout her own career as an academic, while also launching Public Culture Journal toboot (in conjunction with my father). I can’t believe it has been over 700 days since she took her last breathe, since breast cancer ripped life from her body. But I [...]