notsomuchlove

Are You Buying Bad Organic Eggs?

2010-10-14T17:37:44Z

A Southwest Wisconsin hen-house raising young birds for Organic Valley. Image credit: The Cornucopia Institute

I have been buying organic eggs for years under the assumption that the eggs are coming from chickens not injected with antibiotics and other drugs and that the chickens are raised in a humane way, cage-free. Well it turns out only part of that is true. Even a well known brand of organic eggs, like Organic Valley confines the animals, granting them no outdoor access whatsoever and provides virtually no natural light in the building (see photo above). Even worse are the eggs that come from WholeFoods 365 brand or Trader Joe's or Safeway's Organic brand. Check out this scorecard and study done by Cornucopia to see how the eggs that you are buying are rated.

Now I know why my educated neighbors are all setting up their own chicken coops. I guess the best way to know that your food is grown well is to do it yourself! That said, I am not a bird person so I will still be buying them at the supermarket but at least now I know which ones not to avoid!

Mean [Little] Girls

2010-10-13T04:14:26Z

By Linda Shiue

At first glance, 3 year old Rachel appeared to be made of "sugar and spice and everything nice." With golden waves of hair framing an angelic face, she seemed to be a good candidate for a new friend when my little one entered preschool.

Soon, however, it became apparent that Rachel would be not everyone's friend, but instead a mini Queen Bee. Her pretty exterior attracted all the little girls in her class. She kept a few in her inner circle, but ignored the rest, telling them, "You are not my friend." She even developed a complicated system that allowed her an eager acolyte every day she attended preschool, based upon the various part-time schedules her classmates had. "You can play with me on Friday, when Elisa is not here," she told one girl. "But if she is here, you can't play with me." The tears she provoked in other little girls didn't seem to bother her.

It would be a relief if Rachel were an "evil" exception, but it has become clear to me over the years that cliques and popularity contests, meanness and overt bullying start early, even as early as toddlerhood. This is far earlier than most parents expect, years before the more often discussed cyber-bullying among teens begins.

Recently, The New York Times reported research in child development which confirmed my casual observations. The article cites several recent statistics:

-a Harris poll of 1,144 parents nationwide found that 67 percent of parents of 3- to 7-year-olds worry that their children will be bullied.

-of 273 third graders surveyed in Massachusetts, 47 percent have been bullied at least once; 52 percent reported being called mean names, being made fun of or teased in a hurtful way; and 51 percent reported being left out of things on purpose, excluded from their group of friends or completely ignored at least once in the past couple of months.

Social scientists didn't begin studying bullying until the last decade, so there are many questions remaining on whether there is truly an increase in bullying among young children or if it heightened awareness, and if there is more bullying, the reasons for this. Possibilities that researchers have considered include an effect of earlier-onset puberty and influence of the media. One researcher quoted, Tracy Vaillancourt of the University of Ottawa, expanded on this point: "The research literature on aggression is very clear that... it's monkey see, money do. Kids mirror the larger culture, from reality TV to materialism." And as we are all aware, TV these days may not provide the best role models. Meline Kevorkian, another researcher, explained, "What we see as comedy is actually making fun of other people."

Mirroring my observation that little girls at my daughters' preschool seemed more precocious than the boys at being bullies, were the findings of a study at Indiana University. The research linked aggressive behavior to shows with stars deemed "socially aggressive." Such shows included Disney's "Hannah Montana," superficially geared at teens but most popular with elementary age and even the under-5 set. The study found that watching these programs increased the likelihood that girls, not boys, engaged in aggressive behavior.

Most frightening to me was the trend described by a Boston school guidance counselor, Erin Monroe. She sees six year olds who are tormented for liking the wrong characters or shows "pulling their hair out, throwing up before school and complaining of constant stomachaches."

Bullying is a serious problem, with major psychological consequences for children in their earliest stages of social development, when they are beginning to develop their sense of self-worth. It is more than simply harmless "teasing." Thankfully, public authorities advocate the importance of preventing bullying early. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan discussed such efforts in elementary schools at a "Bullying Prevention Summit" in August. This fall, "Stop Bullying Now!," a program developed by the Public Health Service, will target 5 to 8 year olds.

I have seen a great example of a model whose aim is not simply "bullying prevention" but to create a positive school environment. My children's school is a "Tribes Learning Community," an educational model which provides a positive environment for learning and social growth. The goals are that children

-feel included and appreciated by peers and teachers

-are respected for their different abilities, cultures, gender, interests and dreams

-are actively involved in their own learning

-have positive expectations from others that they will succeed.

Four agreements are honored in a Tribes community, and children as young as 5 are able to remember, recite, and hopefully comprehend these tenets:

1) attentive listening

2)appreciation/no put downs

3) mutual respect

4) the right to pass

I'm curious to know what your experiences have been with bullying in young children. Do you think this is a new or growing trend? Why do you think we're seeing so much bullying now? What have your local schools done to prevent bullying?

__________________________

Pamela Paul, "Cultural Studies: The Playground Gets Even Tougher." The New York Times, October 8, 2010.
Public domain image: Children playing with Campbell kid dolls. New York, New York , 1912 March. Creator: Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, National Child Labor Committee Collection, LC-DIG-nclc-04210 (color digital file from b&w original print) No known restrictions on publication.

Botox for Teens?

2010-08-12T05:35:41Z

By Linda Shiue

Botox has been popular for years in women (and men) of a certain age for softening those souvenirs of experience we call wrinkles. It's a personal and philosophical choice that mature individuals make, and less drastic and expensive than plastic surgery.

Teens may be the cause of wrinkles in their parents, but they don't get them. So why would they get Botox? Charice Pempengco, below, is an 18 year old singer from the Philippines who is to appear on Glee, the hit Fox series. She made waves last month when it was reported that she had gotten Botox treatment to make make her face look less round. She told Philippine television, "I want to look fresh when I appear before the camera," during the visit at which her doctor, Vicki Belo, injected her jaw.

does she need Botox?

It's no novelty for TV celebrities to embrace cosmetic procedures in the pursuit of fame. But now The New York Times reports that Botox is gaining traction among non-celebrity teens as well.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 12,000 teens received botox injections in the last year. It is unclear how many of these procedures were for legitimate medical reasons, such as relieving the pain from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) or to stop a twitching eyelid, but plastic surgeons confirm that many teens are seeking procedures for cosmetic reasons. These perceived flaws include overly square jawlines and gummy smiles.

A facial plastic surgeon in Dallas interviewed by The New York Times, Dr. Samuel Lam, reports that he has done 100 Botox procedures on teens for nonsurgical facial reshaping. "A lot of teenagers tease each other about things that as adults we may not consider as important," he said.

Using Botox for cosmetic reasons in teens is not just a matter of philosophical debate, it can also have unwanted side effects. With Botox gone awry, you could end up with facial nerve paralysis, which could cause a facial droop, drooling, or even slurred speech.

That wouldn't look so good on camera.

_____________________________

"This Teenage Girl Uses Botox. No, She's Not Alone." The New York Times, August 11, 2010.

Photo credit: Wikipedia, ezekielhouse

A Reason to Boycott Target Stores

2010-08-02T18:20:55Z

I am member of MoveOn.org and I got this disturbing info in my inbox this morning. Read below to understand why I am not going to be shopping at Target (if you feel the same, please sign the petition):

"Get this: Target, the retail giant, just became one of the very first companies to take advantage of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision allowing unlimited corporate cash in elections.¹

Target has spent over $150,000 in the Minnesota Governor's race backing state Rep. Tom Emmer, a far-right Republican who supports Arizona's draconian immigration law, wants to abolish the minimum wage and even gave money to a fringe group that condoned the execution of gay people. ²

Target must think customers won't care. They're wrong: We do care, and we need to let them know that we want Target--and all corporations--out of our elections.

Will you send a message to Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel telling him that you're not going to shop at Target unless they stop trying to buy elections? Click here to add your name to the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/state/target/?id=22226-9576852-aTxMP6x&t=2

Once we get 150,000 signatures, MoveOn members in Minnesota will hand deliver the petition to Target headquarters.

The stakes are much higher than one candidate and one company. Other CEOs are in "wait-and-see" mode following the Citizens United decision, according to a former Federal Trade Commission counsel quoted on NPR.³ If we don't push back hard, this will just be the tip of the iceberg.Other corporations will learn that they can pour money into elections to buy the outcome they want--without paying a price with their customers or shareholders.

We all knew Citizens United would benefit candidates who stand up for corporate CEOs instead of everyday people. But you wouldn't expect a company like Target to jump in and try to buy an election so quickly. After all, Target made its name by being thought of as the more progressive store in the wake of numerous WalMart scandals.

That's why MoveOn members are following up on actions of groups like Human Rights Campaign and the Alliance for a Better Minnesota by telling Target that we won't shop there unless they stop trying to buy elections. Please add your voice now:

http://pol.moveon.org/state/target/?id=22226-9576852-aTxMP6x&t=3

Thanks for all you do."

High Levels Of BPA Found In Cash Register Receipts

2010-07-29T17:59:40Z

Once again environmental toxins are lurking where we least expect it. The Environmental Working Group has uncovered extremely high levels of BPA in over 40% of the cash register receipts that it examined from supermarkets, ATMs, gas stations, banks etc.

BPA is a plastic component that has been making headlines as consumers press for a federal ban on food packaging made with this synthetic estrogen shown to leach readily into infant formula, beverages and canned food. But according to the EWG most Americans are probably unaware that they are regularly exposed to the same endocrine-disrupting chemical in cash registers receipts.

The EWG reports:

"Major retailers using BPA-containing receipts in at least some outlets included McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Walmart, Safeway and the U.S. Postal Service. Receipts from some major chains, including Target, Starbucks and Bank of America ATMs, issued receipts that were BPA-free or contained only trace amounts.

Scientists have not determined how much of a receipt's BPA coating can transfer to the skin and from there into the body. Possibilities being explored include:

Oral exposure -- BPA moves from receipts onto fingers and then onto food and into the mouth.
Dermal exposure -- BPA from receipts is directly absorbed through the skin into the body.

A study published July 11 by Swiss scientists found that BPA transfers readily from receipts to skin and can penetrate the skin to such a depth that it cannot be washed off (Biedermann 2010). This raises the possibility that the chemical infiltrates the skin's lower layers to enter the bloodstream directly. BPA has also been shown to penetrate skin in laboratory studies (Kaddar 2008)."

Read the full article here.

Kardashian vs. Gillard, Australia's First Female Prime Minister

2010-06-24T04:07:37Z

Hmm, what is more newsworthy? The fact that Kim Kardashian has a new boyfriend or the fact that Australia has just elected Julia Gillard, it's first female prime minister? Shockingly Yahoo! News

Image via Wikipedia

thinks the former. Check out the snapshot above that I took of my screen today. Kim and her new main squeeze are apparently more newsworthy than stem cells curing burn induced blindness too (was an amazing article btw). What is this world coming to!?!?!?!?

In any case, congratulations Ms. Gillard! I am glad to have some positive women role models for my daughter even if they are not headline news.

Could Eating Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Cause ADHD?

2010-05-21T13:19:18Z

Image via Wikipedia

By Linda Shiue

A common perception is that too much sugar is what makes kids "hyper." But what about eating fruits and vegetables? It may depend on how well you wash them.

A new study published in Pediatrics suggests a link between commonly used pesticides and the development of ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Researchers tracked levels of the breakdown products of organophosphates, a common class of pesticides, in children's urine and found those with high levels were almost twice as likely to develop ADHD as those with undetectable levels.

Of note, the study population was not a specially selected group (such as farmworkers or children with known ADHD) but data from the general US population, culled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2000-2004). This suggests potential harm from exposure to organophosphate pesticides at levels commonly found in our environment.

As quoted in Reuters, a study author commented:

"There is growing concern that these pesticides may be related to ADHD," said Marc Weisskopf of the Harvard School of Public Health, who worked on the study. "What this paper specifically highlights is that this may be true even at low concentrations."

Organophosphates are known to be neurotoxins, or harmful to the nervous system. As such, it is biologically plausible that they could cause alterations leading to ADHD. They were originally developed for chemical warfare, with one example being Sarin. According to Reuters, there are about 40 organophosphate pesticides registered in the US, including malathion. Residues from these make their way into our food supply in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The study sample included 1,139 children between 8 and 15 years. The authors conducted structured interviews the children's mothers or another caretaker, and found that 119, or about one in ten, met the criteria for ADHD, which is similar to the prevalence in the overall U.S. population.

For the most common breakdown product, called dimethyl triophosphate, the odds of ADHD almost doubled in kids with above-average levels compared to those without detectable levels. These numbers were adjusted for gender, age, race/ethnicity, poverty/income ratio, and fasting duration.

The study's lead author, Weisskopf, emphasized that these results are preliminary, and do not necessarily imply causation. More studies are needed before contemplating a ban on these pesticides. He recommended:

"A good washing of fruits and vegetables before one eats them would definitely help a lot."

That's sound, common-sense advice. You don't want to "throw out the baby with the bathwater;" the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables far outweigh any potential risks from bacterial or chemical contamination. But it pays to choose and prepare wisely. You should consider organic produce, when possible, and avoid organophosphate pesticides and insecticides at home. To see a comprehensive list of which fruits and vegetables are most important to choose organic, see the Environmental Working Group's list. For all fresh produce, wash well before consuming, to reduce levels of both pesticides and bacteria.

_____________________________________________________________________________

These are some of the FDA's recommendations for safely preparing fresh produce:

-Begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparation.

-Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded.

-All produce should be thoroughly washed under running water just before eating. This includes produce grown conventionally or organically at home, or purchased from a grocery store or farmer's market. Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first.

-Washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes is not recommended.

-Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.

-Drying produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present.

-You do not need to wash precut, bagged, or packaged produce items like lettuce that are labeled pre-washed and ready to eat.

___________________________________________________

Reference:

Maryse F. Bouchard, David C. Bellinger, Robert O. Wright and Marc G. Weisskopf. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides. Pediatrics, published online May 17, 2010.

Does Your Man Have Toxic Sperm? If One Of You Wears Cologne or Perfume Then He Might

2010-05-13T19:07:14Z

My favorite consumer advocacy organization, The Environmental Working Group, has just released a report that details how toxic fragrances can be to your health. How can something that smells so good be so bad? And how come our government doesn't regulate the sale of these poisons? Good questions. Would you believe the government doesn't even test the secret ingredients in most perfumes and colognes. Thanks to the EWG we now know how damaging these smell good potions can be. According to the EWG:

"When sprayed or applied on the skin, many chemicals from perfumes, cosmetics and personal care products are inhaled. Others are absorbed through the skin. Either way, many of these chemicals can accumulate in the body. As a result, the bodies of most Americans are polluted with multiple cosmetics ingredients. This pollution begins in the womb and continues through life.

A recent EWG study found Galaxolide and Tonalide, two synthetic musks, in the cord blood of newborn babies (EWG 2009). Both musks contaminate people and the environment worldwide, have been associated with toxicity to the endocrine system (van der Burg 2008) and were identified in the majority of products tested for this study. Similarly, a pregnant woman's use of some fragrances and other cosmetics frequently may expose her growing fetus to diethyl phthalate (DEP), a common perfume solvent linked to abnormal development of reproductive organs in baby boys and sperm damage in adult men (Washington Toxics Coalition 2009). New research also links prenatal exposure of DEP to clinically diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder in children (Engel 2010). This analysis found DEP in 12 of 17 products tested, at levels ranging from 30 parts per million (ppm) to 32,000 ppm in Eternity for Women.

Numerous other products used daily, such as shampoos, lotions, bath products, cleaning sprays, air fresheners and laundry and dishwashing detergents, also contain strongly scented, volatile ingredients that are hidden behind the word "fragrance." Some of these ingredients react with ozone in the indoor air, generating many potentially harmful secondary air pollutants such as formaldehyde and ultrafine particles (Nazaroff 2004)."

For the full article read here.

Seriously?

2010-04-21T01:40:51Z

The wonderful Jamie Oliver, if you are reading this, can you add this to your list of things we need to fix as a part of America's food revolution? I could not believe what was attached to my beautiful fresh asparagus tonight....a recipe... not just any recipe but a recipe for deep fried beer battered asparagus! Yes, it is true, even the vegetable farmers are conspiring to fatten us up! Or to their credit, they just want to sell more crops and since Americans haven't learned to eat vegetables in their natural form, they are suggesting we eat them the way we eat everything else, fried and with beer! Three words for that...not so much.

Image via Wikipedia

Oh No Obama!

2010-04-01T03:00:04Z

Tell me that you are not backing out on your promise to keep a moratorium on offshore drilling!!! According to Oceana.org:

"President Obama recently proposed opening new areas to offshore drilling as a political compromise to help push climate change legislation through Congress. Expanding offshore drilling increases threats to marine habitats and creatures and does nothing to curb harmful carbon emissions; in fact, it increases pollutants in our atmosphere and oceans.

Including offshore drilling in climate change legislation is not only a political compromise - it is compromising the future health of our oceans."

Click here to tell Obama to reconsider his proposal to expand offshore drilling! Let's not sacrifice the oceans in the name of climate change.

Are Green Consumers Mean Consumers???

2010-03-17T01:04:35Z

For starters I was shocked that anyone would actually conduct a study to see if 'green' consumers were 'mean' consumers but apparently someone did and found that they are mean- or the people that they tested were anyway. Maybe the researchers had an ulterior motive and just wanted to give us greenies a bad rep. But a study that appeared in the Journal of Psychology suggested that of the 156 college students tested, the ones who were green minded were more likely to lie, cheat and steal. Ouch! That is a dagger in my heart. Tell me it is not so! I would think the opposite, but according to CBS5:

"When, on the honor system, subjects were asked to take their earnings from an envelope, those socially-conscious green product buyers were 6-times more likely to steal. When given the opportunity to split some of their gifted money with someone else, those environmentally aware consumers didn't share.

Researches call the phenomenon the "halo of green consumerism." When people feel they've been morally virtuous, by saving the planet with their purchases, it leads to what physiologists call "moral balancing" or compensatory ethics. In other words, they've done something good, so now they don't have to be so good. "

What do you think?? I'd say Not So Much!!!

Is Yours One of the Worst Cell Phones for Radiation Risk?

2010-03-03T03:31:42Z

Image via CrunchBase

We all know in the back of our head that every time we use our cell phones we are getting zapped by some kind of radiation that is probably not good for us. Some studies suggest that cell phone usage increase your risk of cancer yet that does not seem to be stopping any of us from carrying around and talking on our beloved cell phones. One of my favorite organizations, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has come up with a great user friendly list for determining which cell phones have the lowest radiation output. Below are the ten best phones, but since my iPhone wasn't on the list I had to dig deeper. If you click here you can see the full panel of results. Much to my surprise, iPhone was one of the better PDA/Smartphone devices as far as radiation is concerned... well, so I am telling myself. It actually wasn't that great but it wasn't at the bottom of the list either.

10 Best Phones

Listing is based on phones currently available from major carriers.
You can also see all available phones ranked by radiation.

	1.	Sanyo Katana II [Kajeet]
	2.	Samsung Rugby (SGH-a837) [AT&T]
	3.	Blackberry Storm 9530 [Verizon Wireless]
	4.	Samsung I8000 Omnia II [Verizon Wireless]
	5.	Samsung Propel Pro (SGH-i627) [AT&T]
	6.	Samsung SGH-t229 [T-Mobile]
	7.	Helio Pantech Ocean [Virgin Mobile]
	8.	Sony Ericsson W518a Walkman [AT&T]
	9.	Samsung SGH-a137 [AT&T, AT&T GoPhone]
	10.	LG Shine II [AT&T]

NYC Children Can Buy Pop Tarts, But Not Mom's Cookies

2010-02-26T07:03:30Z

By Linda Shiue

Does this make any sense?

New York City's Education Department made headlines last October when it voted to ban bake sales for school fundraisers, citing nutritional concerns with the sugar and fat content of most baked goods. At that time, parents were upset over the decline in fundraising revenue that ban would cause, but the principle of fighting childhood obesity was hard to argue with.

Yesterday, the Education Department shifted its policy-- not to re-allow homebaked goods, not even zucchini bread, but to allow the sale of certain packaged snacks meeting nutritional guidelines. The guidelines specify that these snacks must in in single serving packages, have a calorie content of 200 calories or less, with less than 35% of those calories from sugar or fat, and cannot contain artificial sweeteners.

The argument is the inability to quantify the fat and sugar content of homemade treats, versus the nutrition information that is available for packaged snacks. This new policy was issued to address the concerns of parent and student groups who found themselves unable to fundraise without bake sales.

You'd be shocked at what meets the guidelines: certain flavors of Pop Tarts, Doritos, and Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars make the cut. Per The New York Times,

Under the new rules, students may sell fresh fruits and vegetables, or one of 27 specific packaged items that have been approved for sales in city vending machines, between the start of school and 6 p.m. on weekdays. The same goes for parent groups, except for an exception carved out for one no-brownies-barred Parent Teacher Association bake sale during the school day per month.

Students interviewed by the NYT were not pleased with this compromise. Even from a fundraising point of view, one student commented that the changes would not be enough:

"With the packaged goods, half the profits are going to the companies," said Anya Lehr, a senior at LaGuardia High School for the Arts. Her club, Model U.N., she said, was having trouble raising the $200 it costs per student to compete at the United Nations. A good bake sale, she said, used to earn up to $500 per day.

Still, the policy was approved unanimously. This, despite the fact that administrators themselves weren't even convinced of the nutritional value being put forward

Kathleen Grimm, the deputy chancellor who oversees the regulation, told members of the panel that the permitted snacks were not "necessarily foods we recommend that students eat."

Does anyone smell a rat?

____________________________________________________

"This much I knew. If you are what you eat, then I only wanna eat the good stuff."

-Rémy, from Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille (2007)

Shame on Wal-Mart and H&M

2010-01-08T16:27:22Z

Imagine tons of unsold, perfectly good clothes being destroyed and dumped in the trash! Unbelievably that is what Wal-Mart and H&M have been doing instead of giving them to needy people. Read more here from the article in Shine:

"This unsettling discovery was made by graduate student Cynthia Magnus outside the back entrance of H&M on 35th street in New York City. Just a few doors down, she also found hundreds of Wal-Mart tagged items with holes made in them that were dumped by a contractor. On December 7, she spotted 20 bags of clothing outside of H&M including, "gloves with the fingers cut off, warm socks, cute patent leather Mary Jane school shoes, maybe for fourth graders, with the instep cut up with a scissor, men's jackets, slashed across the body and the arms. The puffy fiber fill was coming out in big white cotton balls."

The New York Times points out that one-third of the city's population is poor, which makes this behavior not only wasteful and sad, but downright irresponsible. Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Melissa Hill, acted surprised that these items were found, claiming they typically donate all unworn merchandise to charity. When reporters went around the corner from H&M to a collections drop-off for charity organization New York Cares, spokesperson Colleen Farrell said, "We'd be glad to take unworn coats, and companies often send them to us."

After several days of no response from H&M, the company made a statement today, promising to stop destroying the garments at the midtown Manhattan location. They said they will donate the items to charity. H&M spokeswoman Nicole Christie said, "It will not happen again," and that the company would make sure none of the other locations would do so either. Hopefully that's the final word." [NY Times][Huff Post] read full Shine article here.

NASCAR Driver Sues Farm: For Noise

2009-12-10T18:48:47Z

How quickly some people forget: No Farms, No Food. Seriously though.. not so much love for this guy.. although as Treehugger points out, there are two sides to every story, but get this...

"From switching to local grains to embracing backyard slaughter, locavores can be a committed bunch. So it's no wonder that a group of South Carolina foodies were up in arms when they heard their favorite farm is being sued for noise. The fact that the law suite is being filed by a former NASCAR driver just seems to have gotten them even more riled up.

According to the Charleston CIty Paper, former Daytona 500 winner Ernie Irvan and his wife, Kim, are suing local food institution Ambrose Farm for causing dust, noise and disturbing the family's peace.

While there is a certain irony to the situation, we should recognize that just because someone has driven NASCAR in the past doesn't exempt them from complaining about noise, and I don't live in the area, so I'd hate to jump to conclusions about how much dust and noise really is produced by this farm. (Heaven knows that jumping to conclusions before all the facts are in can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings.)

Having said that, Moving next to a farm that has been there for 35 years and then complaining about its operations does not seem like the smartest way to endear yourself with your neighbors. Locals are so upset they've started a Facebook page tosave Ambrose Farm, they are collecting money for the family's legal fund, and they are planning a "friendly showing of support" at the courthouse when the trial date is set."