[geeks] (4 replies) Psychotropics aka anti-depressants, etc

[CareySchug at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/27/2003 12:56:16 AM Central Standard Time, 
vance at neurotica.com writes:

> >Parents with more money, on average, have more children.  Conservative
> >families in the US tend to have more money.
> 
> Anyway, I've seen the reverse statistic in print.  That liberals breed
> faster.

At any specific income, the conservatives probably tend to breed faster, 
largely because relatively more of them belong to religious groups that prohibit 
birth control.  I have never seen any study or even an unbacked claim that 
well-to-do people have more children than poor people.
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In a message dated 7/26/2003 7:46:35 PM Central Standard Time, 
vraptor at promessage.com writes:

> >Don't get me started.  With some of the parents I've met in the past 
> >this would be a good thing.  I know _I_ could pass such a class.  Heck 
> >most people could

What if the test involved detailed information from some religion that was 
not your own?  What if it was given in a language you did not know?  Any test 
can be manipulated to further the writer's biases about who should pass.

The only relatively fair way to avoid the earth dying due to direct or 
indirect overpopulation (indirect is global warming, depletion of resources, 
pollution, etc) would be a highly contagious virus being released, whose only effect 
is to cause temporary sterility in women.  The only way people can have 
children is by regularly (maybe 6 times a day for 3 months before it become 
effective) taking a medication to temporarily overcome the sterility.  And this 
medication must be taken in a precise dose or it will cause permanent sterility (to 
prevent just adding it to ALL foods).  That way people can only reproduce by 
making a careful and dedicated effort.
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In a message dated 7/26/2003 2:24:43 PM Central Standard Time, 
jp at celestrion.net writes:

> People like this make me wish we had a "loser pays" judiciary system.
> That'd put a stop to a lot of this frivolous lawsuit crap.

Unfortunately that wouldn't stop the frivolous lawsuits by those who couldn't 
pay anyway if they lost.... Unless you want to bring back debtor prisons.  I 
would agree we need to beef up the penalties against frivolous lawsuits.  
Also, those so rich the cost of losing would be no big deal wouldn't be deterred 
either, especially if they were suing somebody poor who might lose due to 
inadequate representation or on whom the interim cost would be very harmful.  Say, 
if they lost their job, and had to sell their house and car to pay for the 
defense, getting the dollars they spent back would not make them whole again.  A 
good frivolous lawsuit reimbursement would make up their life being disrupted. 
 Plus it would have to be doubled, and then increased for those whom the 
money would not otherwise hurt, partly to subsidize compensation when the 
frivolous lawsuit filing person did not have the money to pay.  And there could/should 
be mandatory jail time for those lawsuits.
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In a message dated 7/27/2003 1:32:02 AM Central Standard Time, 
shannon at widomaker.com writes:

> I do not recall a single child I ever met in my life who did not have
> it. Sure, some are a little worse than others, but IMHO ADD is just
> describing the natural state of most children

It has been suggested by some careful studies that a very large percentage of 
Americans are at least mildly add, and the reason being the way this country 
was built.  Those who could not fit in, who couldn't stay put, were the ones 
who emigrated to this country from elsewhere.  That idea could even be applied 
to the original people who came across the Bering strait, I suppose.

BTW, some are A WHOLE LOT WORSE than others.  I have known a number of 
children where definitely had zero ADD/ADHD tendencies.  One indicator is if Mom 
uses cocaine (and maybe other recreational drugs) during pregnancy, the incidence 
of ADD/ADHD is much worse.  Note also that boys are usually ADHD and girls 
are more likely to be ADD (without the hyperactivity).

Also, both are often triggered/amplified by artificial colors and flavors, 
especially red#40, and to a lesser extent by refined sugar.  Both of these are 
used a lot more in American foods than elsewhere in the country.  Somebody told 
me that artificial colors were banned from baby foods and maybe children's 
foods in most of Europe.  Of course, because people count relatively more, and 
big companies profits count relatively less, so that isn't surprising.

For my (cocaine exposed, adopted) daughter, Red#40 is like a light switch.  I 
can tell with near 100% certainty if she has had red#40, and maybe 60% 
certainty if she has missed her medication.  I discovered this after I thought she 
was triggered by sugar, but noticed she became difficult after red colored 
sugar free raspberry soda.

--Carey