(IJCH) Why repost this? Because it got me kicked off a group Discord Channel! ("Bent out of shape over plastic straws? Seriously!? What about saccharin and chocolate too? Maybe a little perspective is in order?")
IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head (Meaning: My Warped, Personal Opinions and Musings)
From the Author:
Salutations.
I am JaiChai.
And if I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance now.
I invite you to interact with everyone, learn, and have as much fun as possible!
For my returning online friends, "It's always great to see you again!"
The History Behind This Post
Three months ago, a total misunderstanding and an irrational, overblown reaction to this post resulted in me getting booted out of a Discord Channel.
I was deemed "a fucking idiot" by a person who didn't even read the post carefully.
This person downvoted my post, didn't submit a reason, and chose to verbally attack me on "his" Channel.
I won't say which Channel it was because, unlike the one responsible for my ouster, most of the other members are reasonable, intelligent, and good people.
It is quite a shame that one person can make unilateral decisions on a Discord Channel, but hey, it is what it is.
And even though I was the first to be officially "Persona Non-Grata", I wouldn't be the last.
After me, a few more members ruffled this guy's feathers and were kicked out of "his" Channel.
BTW, I wish that person well. I have enjoyed much more posting success since being forced to leave that person's Channel.
So, for those who didn't know what caused the behind the scenes hostility, or haven't read the original post before, here "it" is again.
Would appreciate your thoughts...
Bent out of shape over plastic straws? Seriously!?What about saccharin and chocolate too? Maybe a little perspective is in order?
Litter is unarguably a worldwide issue.
But the public uproar has led to some dumb, ineffective solutions (i.e., blaming "things" instead of the careless people doing the damage) and many wide-spread misconceptions.
For example, people are still stuck in the 1960's "down with plastic" mindset.
Erroneously, they still believe all the past propaganda (e.g., "Plastic - it's poisoning our babies!", etc.).
Imagine this.
Unbeknownst to most people, the widely held belief of the purported toxicity levels and degree of hazard to human health of plastics have since been debunked.
In other words, from the beginning, BPA has gotten a bum rap.
What is BPA?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic synthetic compound with the chemical formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2 belonging to the group of diphenylmethane derivatives and bisphenols, with two hydroxyphenyl groups.
It is a colorless solid that is soluble in organic solvents, but poorly soluble in water. It has been in commercial use since 1957.
Decades of studies since its demonization in the '60s shows that its ban was totally unwarranted.
The Dosage is the Poison
OMG! There's saccharin in this!?
No need for alarm.
Similar to BPAs, saccharin studies were inherently flawed; that is, generalizing animal studies where >1,000X normal dosages/exposures is just plain stupid and alarmist.
And let's not forget that animal biology can greatly differ from humans.
For example, eating chocolate can give dogs arrhythmias (and sometimes results in death) depending on the size of the dog and the amount of chocolate ingested.
This is because they don't possess a lot of the enzyme required to metabolize chocolate properly.
Consequently, a chemical in chocolate called theobromine can accumulate and overwhelm a dog's normal physiology.
Humans easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs process it much more slowly, allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system.
What can happen to the dog next?
With large amounts, theobromine can produce muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding or a heart attack.
The onset of theobromine poisoning is usually marked by severe hyperactivity.
OK.
Back to the truth about saccharin...
We are not rats! That's why saccharin can't harm us!
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Rat's urine is highly acidic; hence, the "rat trails" I would find with a fluorescent lamp while rodent hunting onboard ships, in mass barracks, and in military grain depots.
Consequently, high doses (I'm talking mega-doses) of saccharin caused crystals that lead to bladder cancer; while having no affect on human urine and bladders.
Nevertheless, saccharin was banned in 1981, and not until recently (2014), saccharin had long been considered carcinogenic because it produced bladder tumours in rats.
Saccharin is now unbanned, with more than 100 countries worldwide legitimately allowing saccharin as a food sweetening additive...
Parting Shot
It's not the plastic's fault that people are careless, no?
And if all plastic straws are banned, what will happen to those who are physically challenged and cannot drink out of a cup like other people?
Lastly, "no straw, easy to drink" cups will either have more plastic in them or be smaller than the normal cup - businesses give with one hand, take-away with the other...
By JaiChai
Really Appreciate You Stopping By.
Truly hope to see you again!
And if you liked my post, kindly Upvote, Comment, Follow, and ReSteem.
(The above post is an updated version of: https://steemit.com/blog/@jaichai/ijch-bent-out-of-shape-over-plastic-straws-seriously-and-i-suppose-you-think-saccharin-is-bad-too)
About the Author
Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an AA, BS and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life – while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic.
In spite of a fear of heights and deep water, he performed high altitude, free-fall parachute jumps and hazardous diving ops in deep, open ocean water.
After 24 years of active duty, he retired in Asia.
Since then, he's been a full-time, single papa and actively pursuing his varied passions (Writing, Disruptive Technology, Computer Science and Cryptocurrency - plus more hobbies too boring or bizarre for most folk).
He lives on an island paradise with his teenage daughter, longtime girlfriend and three dogs.
"My mind was a terrible thing to waste..." - JaiChai