How to be oblivious (Drama Avoidance 101) 

There has been a lot of drama it the RP Twitterverse lately. This is hardly surprising, since without drama, most of us would have long since gone away. Done properly (in character and as part of a storyline), it’s fun to read and participate in. It’s when it spills over into the personal, in or out of character, that it becomes problematic.

Personal drama is not fun. It’s not fun to watch and it certainly is not fun to be part of. The best advice is to avoid it or ignore it. This is easier said than done, sometimes. It is, however, possible to remain outside the fray. You just have to be oblivious or seem to be.

Here are a few tips for avoiding drama:
1.  Focus on yourself. Sure, it sounds egotistical, but let’s face it, the only behavior any of us have any control over is our own.  Focus your attention on what you are doing and saying, not what someone or everyone else is.

2.  Spend most of your time in your mentions (@s) and following a select list of others and SLs. Obviously the people who talk to you should get most of your attention. Well-executed SLs also merit your attention, whether you are involved with them or not.

3. Judge people on what they say/how they act to you. This is easier if you stay hidden in your mentions (@s) and DMs. The stream can get wild and busy. It is extremely easy to take something out of context. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if it isn’t said to you (using your @) it isn’t meant for you…even if it is. (The exception to this rule is notices from group accounts regarding rules, new members or SLs.)

4. Blogs, twitlongers, websites, Facebook pages and anything else associated with an RP character should remain in character. This does not mean you can’t comment on things happening around Twitter or even IRL just that you should keep the comments in character.

5.  What is said offline (in IMs or DMs or emails or phone conversations or whatever other form of personal conversations you may have), stays offline. NO EXCEPTIONS! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT repeat what you are told in private conversations, period but especially do not do it on stream or in a public way. EVER.
No doubt you’ve noticed that this list does not include the familiar saws “treat others the way you want to be treated” or “don’t say anything if you can’t say something nice”. “Don’t take it personally” isn’t really included either unless you consider it as part of #3. There is a reason for that. It’s because we’ve all heard them. We all say that is how we are behaving.

If it were, there wouldn’t be unscripted, personal drama onstream.

So let’s be honest. We treat others the way we want to treat them. We say mean things, sometimes intentionally. We do take things personally. We invest a great deal of ourselves in these characters, whether original or cannon. It hurts when someone doesn’t like them, or they get into fights, or they just get ignored. Pretending we don’t is silly. But, and this is a very big but (pun so intended), what we don’t see can’t hurt us.
Being largely oblivious is one way to avoid the drama and getting hurt. It doesn’t stop it. It just sets it at one remove. Which is far better than being in the center of a drama storm.

 

Medical profession 'oblivious' to role of chemicals in diabetes and obesity

US officials are beginning to take a greater interest in the reported links between the exposure to environmental chemicals, like Bisphenol A, with the development of diabetes and obesity

The medical profession remains largely 'oblivious' to the reported links between exposure to chemicals in our daily lives and the development of diabetes and obesity, leading health specialists have told the Ecologist.

Obesity and diabetes rates in children and adults are increasing in many countries across the world. In 2008 almost a quarter of UK adults and 16 per cent of children aged 2-15 were classified as obese, while 2.8 million people are being treated for diabetes. Medical costs associated with these conditions are also rising, with the NHS estimated to be spending £9 billion per year treating diabetes and a further £4.1 billion treating obesity.

The increase in these medical conditions over the last decade has led many researchers to look for a connection with various external factors. Although changes in diet and physical activity are predominantly blamed for these increases, recent research has been exploring the possibility that environmental pollution could cause both diabetes and obesity.

The main suspects highlighted by researchers include persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as chlorinated pesticides, many of which are now banned but continue to be widely detected in the US population. Studies have also found evidence that other chemicals, such as Bisphenol A (BPA), associated with both diabetes and obesity are still widely produced and found at detectable levels in the environment. BPA in particular has been the focus of campaigns calling for it to be banned, although it continues to be used to line plastic bottles and food containers.
Health specialists are adamant there is a connection and say further research is required to explore the complicated relationship.

‘There is no question in my mind that exposure to environmental chemicals is contributing to the increasing rates of diabetes and obesity, but understanding this relationship is absolutely critical’ Dr David Carpenter, Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany told the Ecologist. ‘This is especially true for the medical profession, and it is sad that at present the medical profession seems to be oblivious to the role of chemical contamination as risk factors for all of the diseases of older age, from cancer to obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease,’ says Dr Carpenter.

The UK’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) is yet to conduct any research and is taking a more neutral stance.

‘The HPA is not undertaking specific work in this area. However it is an interesting, emerging area of research. As such the HPA looks forward to the publication of future literature and will continue to monitor developments closely,’ says Ovnair Sepai, head of general toxicology at the HPA's Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards.

US government concern

However, government health officials in the US have taken a closer interest in the issue. In January 2011 the US Department of Health held a workshop to evaluate research linking exposure to environmental chemicals with the development of diabetes and obesity.
Only last year, the National Cancer Institute, which advises the US President, said the link between exposure to everyday chemicals and cancer risk had been 'grossly underestimated'.

Campaigners in the US now want tougher regulation to stop the use of the chemicals. 'There is growing evidence to support the possibility that lower levels of exposure to environmental chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes,' says Sarah Howard from the US pressure group Collaborative on Health and the Environment. ‘Some of these chemicals are still in use and we should regulate those chemicals. Regulations could also help identify potentially problematic chemicals before they are introduced into the marketplace, and into our bodies.’

Health groups in the UK remain undecided: 'The link between pollution and diabetes needs to be explored further with more solid research before any accurate conclusions can be made,' says Dr Victoria King, Head of Research at Diabetes UK.