no. no. no. no.

argh. nightmares. enough said. part of me doesn't even want to post a picture because it's so disturbing. eeeesh.

malcolm gladwell and the moral hazard myth

as debate over national health care rolls on in congress, i am reminded of one of the most poignant and memorable articles i have ever read. it was published in a 2005 issue of the new yorker but is still [ if not more ] relevant today.

i thought about bullet-pointing the striking parts of the article for those who don't wish to read it, but i truly feel it would be doing gladwell [ and the uninsured ] a huge disservice. if you don't believe in "socialized medicine" and don't think we need reform, you need to take a look. and even if you do, some of the facets you learn in this article are too critical to pass up.

** if you're curious as to what prompted this entry, it was the drudge report's cover story labeled "TAX THEM!" with this picture:

brooke shields's endorsement of LATISSE

advertising has done its share of creating problems in order to sell "solutions." in 1921, listerine advertisers invented the word "halitosis" to make bad breath sound more like a condition to be treated.

i guess it shouldn't surprise anyone anymore. but just as i thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous than "restless leg syndrome," along comes another miracle drug to make all your problems go away.

except this time, your problems are... your eyelashes?

A new FDA-approved drug called latisse is marketing itself as a solution for "eyelash hypotrichosis" -- "another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes."

REALLY?!?! we're in a global recession and there's a market for people with wimpy eyelashes who can't just buy a tube of mascara like the rest of us?

best of all, they've solicited brooke shields as their spokesperson. wait, why? is she a well-known case of eyelash hypotrichosis? i always thought she had a pretty successful modeling/acting career... featuring her eyelashes the whole way along.

weird.

i can't find the spot online, but you can watch brooke's video diary on the latisse website. this is the richest part:

Brooke is Ready for Her Closeup
HER VIDEO DIARY CHRONICLES THE LASH JOURNEY

She's one of the world's most recognizable faces — a legendary model and actress who's paved the way and continues to set trends. Her film, TV and Broadway roles have earned her critical acclaim and legions of fans, but it's her personal commitment to important causes that makes her real beauty.

i'm glad those important causes now include eyelash health. pffft.