As the names implies, situational awareness is simply knowing what's going on around you. It sounds easy in principle, but in reality requires much practice. And while it is taught to soldiers, law enforcement officers, and yes, government-trained assassins, it's an important skill for civilians to learn as well. In a dangerous situation, being aware of a threat even seconds before everyone else can keep you and your loved ones safe.
But it's also a skill that can and should be developed for reasons outside of personal defense and safety. Situational awareness is really just another word for mindfulness, and developing mine has made me more cognizant of what's going on around me and more present in my daily activities, which in turn has helped me make better decisions in all aspects of my life.
But does this actually mean anything? Johnson & Johnson, another American multinational corporation which specializes in developing medical devices and selling pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods, has been ordered to pay $72 million US dollars to the family of a woman whose death from ovarian cancer was linked to her decades-long use of the company's talc-based Baby Powder and Shower. Approximately 1,000 more cases have been filed in Missouri state court, and another 200 in New Jersey. In this specific case, jurors found Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence, and conspiracy. You can read more about that here.Colgate Total is the only toothpaste on the market that has undergone the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's rigorous New Drug Application (NDA) review process for efficacy and safety, including periodic reviews of scientific literature and safety information. . . . There are more published, peer-reviewed clinical studies of Colgate Total than of any other toothpaste in the world. The safety and efficacy of Colgate Total toothpaste is supported by more than 90 scientific studies, involving 20,000 people, as well as by a broad set of safety evaluations. A recent five-year clinical study, published in 2012, also affirms the safety of Colgate Total toothpaste.
After all, pornography works in the most basic of ways on the brain: It is Pavlovian. An orgasm is one of the biggest reinforcers imaginable. If you associate orgasm with your wife, a kiss, a scent, a body, that is what, over time, will turn you on; if you open your focus to an endless stream of ever-more-transgressive images of cybersex slaves, that is what it will take to turn you on. The ubiquity of sexual images does not free eros but dilutes it.
Other cultures know this. I am not advocating a return to the days of hiding female sexuality, but I am noting that the power and charge of sex are maintained when there is some sacredness to it, when it is not on tap all the time.
Click here to read the full report: Poisoned Legacy - Ten Years Later, Chemical Safety and Justice for DuPont's Teflon Victims Remain Elusive.
The truth about this family of chemicals emerged only after DuPont was hit with lawsuits for poisoning drinking water for tens of thousands of people in West Virginia and Ohio. DuPont paid a record $16.5 million fine for hiding the alarming truth that C8/PFOA chemicals were linked to cancer and birth defects. DuPont promised to phase the chemical out by the end of this year but the company continues to hide behind confidentiality and trade secrets to keep the public in the dark.
"We are deeply troubled that families have no way of knowing if they are being exposed to these chemicals in their own homes," said Bill Walker, EWG consultant and co-author of the report. "DuPont continues to hide the truth about the health concerns of these new replacement chemicals."
Comment: How many of us know the ingredients in the cosmetic products we use?