Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

Archives for October 2007

By

You’ll pry my red lipstick "from my cold dead hands"!

UPDATED
Scroll down for updates


I’ve been wearing red lipstick since I was in my teens and red lipstick was not in fashion.

The reason for this was that my favorite aunt always wore red lipstick and matching red nail polish all her life and sh looked sensational. The first lipstick I ever wore was hers (I must have been two years old or so. She went out and bought me my own little-kid brand).

Well, today I get up, open my email and find this, via Agent Bedhead:

NEW PRODUCT TESTS FIND LEAD IN LIPSTICK

Toys made in China aren’t the only products laced with dangerous heavy metals: lipstick manufactured in the United States and used daily by millions of American women also contains surprisingly high levels of lead, according to new product tests released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The lead tests were conducted by an independent laboratory over the month of September on red lipsticks bought in Boston, Hartford, Conn., San Francisco and Minneapolis. Top findings include:

More than half of 33 brand-name lipsticks tested (61 percent) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). None of these lipsticks listed lead as an ingredient.

One-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Lipstick products, like candy, are directly ingested into the body. Nevertheless, the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick, which fits with the disturbing absence of FDA regulatory oversight and enforcement capacity for the $50 billion personal care products industry.

If you follow their links they also have a question and answer section and a PDF copy of their report.

The report, you can see if you open the link, features a photo of a cute little girl and is titled “A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick“. Hmmm. Remember what I was saying about “for the children” arguments the other day?

The study claims that “Women inadvertently (but harmlessly) eat about 4lbs of lipstick in a lifetime.” Considering my early start, I must be working my way into my 6th lb or so. Not one of the symptoms described (learning, language and behavioral problems such as reduced school performance and increased aggression, infertility and miscarriage) have ever happened so far. However, if you try to separate me from my red lipstick it may lead to increased aggression on my part.

I read the full report and what it comes down is that it calls for yet more government intervention and regulation. Why am I not surprised?

After reading the report I’ve made an informed decision:
“I have only five words for you: From my cold, dead hands.”

Which, by the way, will be wearing OPI Big Apple Red nail polish:

(And before you ask, that is a photo of my hand, but the red lipstick gif came from here)

Do you like red lipstick, or do you hate it? Answer the survey!

Update:
Janette emails,

Here’s a link that kind of talks about what I mentioned in your comments, Fausta.
Lead in Candy Likely To Be Consumed Frequently by Small Children: Recommended Maximum Level and Enforcement Policy

The allowable lead level in candy was .5ppm until 2006 which means that all of US grew up eating a lot more lead as a tasty treat than what’s currently in our lipsticks.

And we turned out fine.

Mostly.

IMHO this is just a case of another wacky “consumer’s rights group” trying to get free publicity on the tailcoats of another hot story (lead in children’s toys).

About the “Campaign for Safe Cosmetics”

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of women’s, public health, labor, environmental health and consumer-rights groups.

Founding groups of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include: Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust, and Women’s Voices for the Earth .

And more:
Snopes had already debunked this story in 2004. But it’s never too late for Safe Cosmetics to drive its agenda, isn’t it?

Digg!
technorati: red lipstick
Share on Facebook

Share

By

Gore wins Nobel, remains coy

As expected, the Nobel Prize committee has awarded Algore the Norwegian Badge of Uselessness

Gore, 59, has been coy, saying repeatedly he’s not running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, without ever closing that door completely.

The coy former Vice-President may run for president again, may choose to stay home admiring his Oscar, Emmy, and Nobel, or may do a one-man show on Broadway, which may in turn win him a Tony award, thus outdoing Rita Moreno, who hasn’t won a Nobel Peace Prize yet.

According to the WaPo,

The science showcased by the panel and Gore’s advocacy have helped to “build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change,” the committee said.

Tripping over themselves to further asininity, the Committee bypassed true heroes of the worldwide struggle for freedom, such as the Burmese monks and the Ladies in White, by saying

it wanted to bring the “increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states” posed by climate change into sharper focus.

The Committee carefully ignored the British court ruling that found eleven inaccuracies and nine errors with Algore’s movie.

While the Nobel Peace Prize winner gets $1.5 million, no one has yet claimed the Ultimate Global Warming Challenge‘s $125,000.

Previous winners of the Norwegian Badge of Uselessness are Yasser Arafat, Rigoberta Menchu, and Mohammed al-Baradei. In 2005 Hugo Chavez was one of the finalists, at least if one is to believe the official Venezuelan news agency.

UPDATE
Gina Cobb:

“The first climate wars.” Puh-lease! It’s not as if we have a shortage of real, actual, ongoing, violent conflicts and wars, currently killing thousands and tens of thousands, that need addressing. “Nomads and herders” and farmers are in conflict? How many dead bodies is that? How does it compare to the massive, ever-growing death toll of the worldwide Islamic jihad?

Update
Welcome, New York Times readers. Please visit often.

Digg!

Share on Facebook

Share

By

You must listen to what Matt Sanchez said last night

UPDATED


I’m having to attend to some work matters this morning and will post later about last night’s podcast but in the meantime, listen to Matt Sanchez.

It was truly an honor to speak to Matt, who was calling from a tent somewhere in Iraq. He called from a satellite phone and his connection was iffy at times, but this was an excellent podcast. While we waited for Matt to call in, Siggy and I were joined by Matt’s producer, Scott, and by Jennifer of Military News on Line Radio.

Special thanks to Siggy for his help. My own phone connection got cut halfway through the podcast and Siggy valiantly held the fort.

More blogging later.

UPDATE:
Siggy just posted,

Notwithstanding that Sanchez had some technical difficulties and called in late, the podcast was extended and turned out to be noting less than a terrific and eye opening examination of the realities in Iraq- realities that the MSM are not reporting.

Sanchez is one of only 33 reporters in all of Iraq – a nation that is geographically the size of Utah with a population that is equal to the states of New York and New Jersey combined. To put that another way and in perspective, there are more network news staff in Billings, Montana than there are in all of Iraq. Further, the majority of the reporters in Iraq are huddled in Baghdad hotel rooms, with no first hand experience in the field.

Not so Matt Sanchez. Unlike most of his journalist ‘colleagues,’ Sanchez is embedded with fighting troops and reports from the battlefront. He is as comfortable in remote regions along the Syriam border as he is walking down the streets in Baghdad or Basra. He has been in Afghanistan and has seen remote villages where the Taliban are welcomed and others, we they are scorned.

Sanchez puts the pictures broadcast from Iraq into the proper focus. His is a wide angle and panoramic view, unlike the deliberately cropped, and edited images and ideas that are the mainstay of the MSM menu.

We discussed how Iraqis regard the Americans and the little mentioned real cooperation between the Iraqi Army and our own troops. We talked about the missing WMD’ – a subject most Iraqis want to avoid and we talked about Al Qaeda in Iraq.

We also discussed the Shia/Sunni rift and Iran. Matt’ take on that will upend everything you think you know about Iraq.

Share

By

"Beware Iran in Latin America"

says Andres Oppenheimer (emphasis added):

Iran has already become the second largest investor in Venezuela, after the United States, and recently inaugurated a weekly Iran Air flight between Tehran and Caracas. Flights are packed with government officials and government-friendly business people, according to Venezuelan press reports.

In addition to opening an embassy in Bolivia, Iran is expanding its diplomatic missions across the region. After attending the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and receiving two state medals from him in January, Ahmadinejad has stationed about 20 Iranian officials at his embassy there, which has by now become one of the largest in that country, Western diplomats say.

Earlier this year, the Iranian foreign ministry held its First International Seminar on Latin America in Tehran.

IRAN’S GOALS

What is Ahmadinejad looking for in Latin America?

First, he is seeking Latin American support to counter U.S. and European pressures to stop Iran from developing nuclear capabilities. Venezuela and Cuba were, alongside Syria, the only three countries that supported Iran’s nuclear program in a February 2006 vote at the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency.

Second, Ahmadinejad wants to strike back at the United States in its own hemisphere. Iran may want to be able to finance anti-American groups and possibly destabilize U.S.-friendly governments in order to negotiate with Washington from a position of greater strength. Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Iran seems to be saying: “You got into my neighborhood; now I’m getting into yours.”

Third, Ahmadinejad’s popularity at home is falling, and he may want to show his people that he is being welcomed as a hero abroad.

Oppenheimer believes, as I do, that

the growing presence of obscure Iranian ”diplomatic personnel” in Venezuela, Nicaragua and other countries in the region raises questions over whether Iranian agents will soon start slipping into other countries to support terrorist or totalitarian groups.

Importing the Middle Eastern conflict or bringing the Iran-U.S. conflict into Latin American territory is clearly in the interest of Iran.


Over in Bolivia, “indigenous nationalism” is bringing together the drug trade and anti-Western ideology. This certainlly will not be the path towards a third way (“Tercera Opción” link in Spanish)

Una “Tercera Opción” que establezca un nuevo concepto de sociedad, que reasuma el aspecto social abandonado por la ortodoxia del ‘libre mercado’ y deseche, a su vez, la excluyente tesis gubernamental del Estado ‘socialista indigenista’.
(my translation) A “Third Way” that would bring about a new societal compact which would resume the social aspect that was abandoned by the orthodox ‘free market’, and which will at the same time discard the exclusionary governmental thesis of the ‘indigenous socialist’ state.

For starters, Bolivia has never in its history even come close to being a free market.

—————————————————————

Investor’s Business Daily praises the new Costa Rica-US free trade agreement, which was reached after many stumbling blocks

Recognizing reality, ignoring side issues, resisting foreign meddling and embracing the future, a free and democratic Costa Rica said yes.

—————————————————————
Ecuador’s president Rafael Correa is doing his utmost to bring the country to ruin. Last week he said he’ll dissolve Congress; this week he increased taxes on oil companies from 50% to 99%. You can read lots more on Ecuador at ECrisis.

The Financial Times looks at Chavismo’s limits in Ecuador:

Mr Chávez has become a popular figure at home by channelling oil revenues towards social spending. But even in Venezuela his government’s top-down economic policies have failed to create jobs and diversify the economy. Elsewhere in Latin America there is growing recognition among voters that the “petro-populism” and anti-American bombast of the Venezuelan caudillo do not offer a way forward.

Centrist governments in Brazil, Mexico and Chile are strong and more than holding their own. Alan Garcia, the recovering populist who last year saw off an electoral challenge by a Peruvian ally of Mr Chávez, is gaining popularity.

Voters in Costa Rica narrowly backed their country’s membership of the US-Central America trade pact, overcoming a powerful left-wing opposition campaign. In any event, few countries have the resources to emulate Mr Chávez. Ecuador is typical in this respect. Its oil industry is smaller and exports are more broadly based than those of Venezuela, with farmers dependent on the US market.

Ecuador’s recent experience of greater government involvement in the economy has not been encouraging. In the first half of this year, for example, oil production fell and productivity continued to decline.

By imposing a 99 per cent windfall tax on international companies – which include state-owned Andes Petroleum of China and Petrobras of Brazil – Mr Correa risks cutting off investment flows to his country.

Mary Anastasia O’Grady isn’t as optimistic on Latin America, where she sees many governments engaging in “creative destruction”.

Indeed, she has plenty of evidence to go by:

—————————————————————

I started today’s roundup with Iran and I complete it with Iran:

Nicaragua Bonds Tumble as Ortega Aligns With Iran, Venezuela:

Investor confidence ebbed as Ortega signed energy accords with Venezuela and sought investment from Iran.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who calls President George W. Bush “the devil,” says the U.S. plotted to overthrow him in 2002 and has threatened to cut off oil shipments. The Bush administration has denied the claim. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected U.S. calls to halt the nation’s nuclear program.

In his UN speech last week, Ortega defended efforts by Iran and North Korea to develop nuclear power. “The enemy continues to be the same,” he said. “And it’s called global capitalist imperialism.”

Nicaragua is currently the second-poorest country in the Americas.

Update Via Siggy,
Ahmadinejad’s World

Special thanks to Eneas Biglione of the Hispanic American Center for Economic Research.

Digg!

Share on Facebook

Share

By

Fred, Nancy, a rubber suit, and a soap

Ed likes Fred:

The first debate with Fred Thompson was expected to reveal whether the lanky actor had what it takes to make a national run for the office. Instead, it revealed Chris Matthews as a hack of the first order, one who tried his best to torpedo Thompson — and failed utterly. He got so desparate that he demanded to know whether Thompson knew who the Canadian Prime Minister was — and he did. Matthews grew so frustrated that he openly critiqued one of Thompson’s answer for being too detailed, which prompted a scolding from Thompson.

That was the game behind the debate, and Thompson stomped Matthews into a laughingstock.

Fred also had the very desireable center spot, where he dominated the stage.

Here’s the transcript of the debate.

————————————————————–

Pelosi swamped
————————————————————–

Lefties are all afflutter that a former Jerry Falwell associate was kinky. If you go to Memeorandum and read the links (some of those links are NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK) you’ll see that Lefties consider anyone else’s sexual proclivities
a. Appropriate for public derision and condemnation
b. a case study of the hypocrisy of the right
c. evidence that all Republicans are pervs… because they don’t exclusively pratice the kind of sex the Left believes appropriate for Republicans – even when we don’t know if the dead guy was a Democrat, Republican or independent. Or whether he was even a registered voter.

So much for the Left’s inclusivity, open-mindedness and non-judgemental attitude towards a hapless dead man.

————————————————————–

And now for the soap:
“Like infidels through an hourglass, so are the sands of passion.”
Digg!

Share on Facebook

Share

By

The pre-debate Bloggers’ call with Fred Thompson’s campaign manager

Bill Lacey, Fred Thompson’s campaign manager, opened by saying that the debate takes place this afternoon but will be aired tonight.
The Fred File will liveblog.

Regarding the campaign, they’re very happy with the financial support they have received since Fred announced last month. The campaign aims to instill financial discipline and Fred’s been moving up in the polls.

For tonight’s debate, Fred probably won’t be getting credit from the media. He doesn’t need to be dominant, instead, he will make a good, strong appearance. His message is that he’s an authentic conservative, focused on taxes, government waste and reform, fighting terrorism, and immigration. This debate will focus on economic issues.

Questions:
My question: What does Fred consider the determining issue of the 2008 election?
BL: He can’t speak for Fred personally but the campaign sees it as not a specific issue but a matter of leadership: the Republican party is at a crossroads and Fred opts for Reagan conservatism. If Bill had to pick one issue, it’d be government reform.

Matt Lewis Townhall.com: What have Friends of Fred & the campaign done on preparation, and have they practiced debating at night?
BL: Yes – Fred was a really successful trial lawyer and knows how to prepare himself probably more than the other candidates.

Dave Brody, CBN: Will Fred go against Giuliani and Romney?
Not so much. For now it’s incumbent to define him first as an authentic conservative – that’s what he wants to get across tonight, adding more substance as they go along.

Erick Erickson Red State: Any thoughts on Chris Matthews as moderator, after he had been calling the Bush administration a bunch of criminals last Thursday?
BL: There’s nothing you can do about it, as the media shows a tendency to be biased, but we go forth.

John Hawkins, Right Wing News: The campaign has had questions on fundraising both ways, too much and too little. How much have they raised, and what to expect for the 4th quarter?
BL: They’re extremely pleased with the 3rd quarter when they raised close to $5million, or $200,000/day. At the grassroots level, people are very seriously interested. The campaign is focused on their cash position and how to bring and communicate Fred’s message to the voters.

Norm Healy, Sic Semper Tiranus (sorry, no link): What is Fred’s position on ethanol?
BL will check on that but In Iowa Fred supported ethanol but didn’t change his mind on subsidies.

Brian, Blogs for Fred Thompson: Do the Christians support Fred?
BL: Fred has a lot of continued support and will continue to make his case. Fred’s point is that he has a set of principles and a set of beliefs and you will know where he stands. He makes a principled stand.
Fred is getting very large crowds, while the media’s surprised about the reception he gets. The challenge is to do really well in the caucuses so he’ll do well in South Carolina.

John Hawkins: As Hawkins sees it the strategy looks as follows: Romney hopes to win in Iowa and New Hampshire, Rudy on SuperTuesday, and Fred to do well in caucuses?
BL: Fred’s campaign wants to build a strategic build-up so they remain part of the voters’ equation by the time they get to South Carolina, making sure they go into South Carolina being viewed as a strong candidate.

Rick Moran, Right Wing Nuthouse: Will there be no supreme effort?
BL: They will make a big effort in the early states and build from there.

Red State again: How about tonight?
BL: We plan to show how well Fred’s prepared, and show Fred as a candidate of substance.
The biggest challenge of the campaign is that there are so many outlets.

Jim Garrity, The Corner:

You mentioned the difficulty of standing out on a stage with eight other candidates. When should these debates get narrowed down to the candidates who are above two percent?
BL: Something like that would make a lot of sense. I’m not sure what the threshold ought to be, but it is difficult for any candidate to make an impression when you’ve got nine guys on the stage. A threshold would be fine. I don’t think even think that’s the biggest problem. We want to be involved with as many debates as possible, but there are so many out there. You literally can’t do all of them. People get criticized for doing some and not others. It would be nice once we get through this process, for somebody to look and instill a little order… right now, having this many debates is not in the candidates’ or party’s best interest.

Frank Jay IMAO: How does Fred like the SNL skit?
BL: Bill’s missed it but Fred thinks Hammond does a pretty good job.

Steven Smith from New Hampshire: Hillary seems to own the Sunday morning talk shows. Will Fred?
BL: Fred will do them eventually, but what he really likes is question and answer sessions with voters in the states. Not happy with spending too little time in New Hampshire.

Matt Lewis: Would they still postpone entry into the campaign?
BL believes that Fred’s decision to go in late had advantages and no negatives, but would have liked more time to prepare. Fred wants a campaign that integrates the message, travel, and so far it has gone extraordinarily well.

Digg!

Share on Facebook

Share

By

That "right wing baseless smear" meme on SCHIP

This morning’s top story at Memeorandum is Right Wing Launches Baseless Against 12 Year Old Recipient of SCHIP”, claiming that the kid’s been “swiftboated”, to which Macsmind replies Left Wing (George Soros) website defends RICHY RICH Family with BASELESS Defense.

Here is the situation: In present-day America health insurance is tied to employment. Mr. and Mrs. Frost have chosen not to seek employment in a large company that would provide health insurance (which is never “free”) to their family. That is their prerogative.

However, they do have substantial assets, and nowadays thousands of self-employed people with less assets than the Frosts do pay directly for their own health insurance. Again, Macsmind,

I have a wife who has survived cancer (twice) and has ongoing medical conditions. I make 40,000 a year and struggle to pay insurance but pay I do. I won’t even get into the outstanding medical bills. I don’t drive a fancy car or have a hope in prayer of buying a house such as theirs. Nevertheless, the Frosts have made crappy financial decisions and are wrong to expect the government to bail them out.

The Dems are complaining that the “Right Wing” is picking on an innocent twelve year old.

Well, who decided to exploit the twelve year old in the first place? Mark Steyn points out,

Sorry, no sale. The Democrats chose to outsource their airtime to a Seventh Grader. If a political party is desperate enough to send a boy to do a man’s job, then the boy is fair game. As it is, the Dems do enough cynical and opportunist hiding behind biography and identity, and it’s incredibly tedious. And anytime I send my seven-year-old out to argue policy you’re welcome to clobber him, too. The alternative is a world in which genuine debate is ended and, as happened with Master Frost, politics dwindles down to professional staffers writing scripts to be mouthed by Equity moppets.

But one thing is clear by now: Whatever the truth about this boy’s private school, his family home, his father’s commercial property, etc, the Frosts are a very particular situation and do not illustrate any social generality – and certainly not one that makes the case for an expensive expansive all-but universal entitlement,

Flopping Aces commenter:

If the family income is as reported they were already eligible for S-Chip in Maryland. The irony however is that at the end of the day this young man received hundreds of thousands of dollars of care at someone’s expense because he needed it, whether he had private insurance or public assistance. It would seem the real beneficiary here would be the hospital and doctors who weren’t paid for his care rather than the young man whose parents wouldn’t or couldn’t pay for private insurance and didn’t bother to apply for S-Chip in Maryland or didn’t know they could. Either way this bill is not the answer to this young man’s alleged problem.

Let’s make clear that every issue – be it on entitlements or whatever else – that is debated “for the children” should be debated fully and clearly. The moment anyone presents a “for the children” argument, you know that a full and clear debate is exactly what they are trying to avoid.

Update: Policy or pathos?

Digg!

Share on Facebook

Share