Stink!

I just discovered, Stink!, a 2015 film on the toxic chemicals in our every day products. The preview is outstanding. The film is produced by Netflix. This interview with the director is very informative:

OH MY GOD, that movie was frightening! The methods in which the chemical companies and their lobbyists double-talk around regulation is absolutely shocking. The fact that Europe and China have better regulations than the United States is disgusting. The movie makes a point that the USA is now a chemical dumping ground for manufacturers because of our lack of oversight so companies create cheaper products with more toxic chemicals because they can. We are their market. Asthma, autism, cancer, diabetes, obesity, reproductive issues, and cardiovascular disease are all linked to toxic chemicals.

BUYER BEWARE! No US agency or official is looking out for consumers. The manufacturers, retail outlets, or trade agencies are just out to make profits and don't give a rip about the health issues caused by toxic chemicals. We are on our own. If it's on the shelve, there is every guarantee the ingredients are not regulated, controlled or even researched for safety and the labels are not to be believed. I already knew this, but it was still frightening and depressing.

There was a woman featured who is a "Green Living Expert." She goes into people's houses and identifies the toxic products they are using. Heck, I could do that! I'd be good at it!

Scary movie. Everyone needs to see it. If they did and stopped buying these toxic products, we'd start to see real change.

The Sensitives (movie)

I finally got around to watching The Sensitives a documentary film about people with chemical and electrical sensitivities directed by Drew Zanthropoulos. Great filming, outstanding photography, and I enjoyed how the dialogue was mixed over the various shots. Nicely done.

Some of the scenes were very interesting. Like the refrigerator full of supplements. Good god! I was hoping someone would address whether they do any good especially since there are theories that supplements add to the problem. That is a whole lot of financial investment for empty promises.

There sure were a lot of dogs in this movie. Barking dogs. With so many MCS/EMF people who have hearing sensitivities it still amazes me that MCS/EMF people are so thoughtless to subject others to their barking. The community down in Texas was featured - little, safe, EMF-proof houses in close proximity - with dogs milling about all over and barking! Like a ghetto. That place would be my personal hell.

One of the residents yelled at the new tenant to stay away from her house because he stinks. LOL! He's one of the stars of the film so it was a bit discombobulating to think this sick man stunk of toxic poisons, the poisons that make him sick. He called the place "a concentration of crazies." Well, that's not nice, but I totally get his sentiment. It has to be frustrating. This is my worry about moving to a community of any kind...I know I'm a pain in the butt and I don't know how much patience I'd have dealing with other people equally as obnoxious as me as we try desperately to control our environment. It sounds like a war in the making.

Not sure why someone suffering from MCS/EMF thought it would be a good idea to get on a plane and fly to Washington, DC. She couldn't participate in the conference in another way? Was the risk really worth it? They showed her walking along a busy city street filled with passing buses. I was gagging just imagining the fumes. I realize not everyone is as sensitive as I am, but if she has to use a wheelchair after a toxic exposure, I would think the travel risk would NOT be worth it.

She also invited a cigarette-smoke-saturated interviewer to sit on her bed with her dog. She told me I wasn't allowed to sit on the bed with or without the dog! And I didn't even stink! It was a little disturbing she was willing to smell people to determine if they had stink on. There is a lot of risky behavior going on here. The scene where she was testing EMF frequency with a transistor radio was fascinating.

I was a little envious of the support system all these people have. There was a lot of discussion on family members being taken for granted or not being recognized for all the work they do and the self-centeredness of those who are suffering. I think sick people in general are self-centered. It's their reality to do whatever they can to help and protect themselves and that makes them self-centered. In these scenarios, the wife does all the cooking and the ninety-year old grandmother does all the shopping. Their devotion is pretty amazing. I wish I had such devoted people in my life! I think chemical sensitivity would be that much more tolerable if I had a twin to share the experience, someone I could lay around in bed with, someone who totally understood my situation.

I kept pondering the difference between a family support system and no support system. The MCS/EMF people featured in this film who have family support seem far more dependent and helpless than, for instance, the woman who lives alone and is capable of doing a lot for herself. Is she less sensitive or just doesn't have the luxury of relying on someone else? The daughter of the man said if he had to live alone he would be forced to cook for himself rather than have his wife do everything for him. Can he cook for himself? Maybe the daughter doesn't understand his sensitivities, but clearly she thought he should be making more of an effort. And if he can't cook for himself, how could he even think of living alone in the first place? I suppose the appliances were less problematic in the Texas house? The film wasn't clear on these issues.

There were few moments of poignancy and personal emotion that were very descriptive. I think the best one was the phone call received from a woman stranded somewhere, having bad reactions to the environment, and in a panic not knowing what to do. That was very moving and exceptionally descriptive for such a short scene.

In summary, it was interesting, nicely filmed, perhaps a little disjointed and somewhat slow. Again, I would have liked more poignant moments or a different organization of stories to emphasize what it's like to have these kinds of limitations. It needed more of an emotional punch throughout. I found it confusing seeing in one scene where the subjects are so sick they can't function and then in the next scene they are risking exposure on purpose. I know that's reality and maybe that was the point, but a filmmaker would have more control over what is presented which would control the storyline.

Still, well done. It wasn't exploitive, but very honest and compassionate.

The Sensitives

Melinda Honn's Environmental Health Bulletin is a newsletter for chemically sensitive people in the Arizona area. It's filled with great ads for safe housing options, MCS-related articles, petitions, government lobbying, and products. If you would like to sign up for a copy sent to your email address, I added information from the bottom of the bulletin on how to do that below. *

This month's edition included a notice from Drew Xanthopoulos who has been filming The Sensitives for the last three years and now needs funding to edit the film. It features a short teaser. I met Drew on my vacation to Snowflake, AZ, when he was filming. The last person featured in the teaser is the incredibly-generous-woman who graciously let me stay with her during my visit. I am eager to see the film.

I think this notice is old as the fundraising started a month ago, and Drew did raise the $50K needed, but I'm sure he'll need more money for production. Here is his notice and the link for the fundraising site and video preview:

"A film is being created called The Sensitives.. The film tells the story of families living with a mysterious illness called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and their struggles to adapt to this invisible disability with very little support from society or the medical profession.  I promise, when you watch the teaser it'll be unlike anything you've seen!  We're launching a Kickstarter campaign TODAY to raise funds to get this film to the finish line and I need your help to make it. Please watch the teaser, read more about it, spread the word to all your friends, and pledge support at this link  bit.ly/SensitivesDoc.  Thank you."

 

 

*EHB is produced privately by amateur journalists, usually on a monthly basis. It is provided free of charge. The contents are from readers and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editors or any organization.  EHB is not affiliated with any organization.
 

Unless otherwise stated, general interest items may be republished.  Items of a personal nature, such as personal stories, housing ads, for sale, and wanted ads, can be shared by email, but should never be posted or linked to a web site.  This allows the world to have access to phone numbers and other personal information in the ads.  If you have a web site, instead, please encourage people to sign up for the bulletin by asking them to email phxhealchapter@msn.com for their own copy.

Editor              Melinda Honn

To submit an item, email phxhealchapter@msn.com.  To respond to an item, please use the information provided in the item.  Send emails to phxhealchapter@msn.com to subscribe or unsubscribe.  No phone calls please.  The editor reserves the right to edit and/or withhold items and claims no liability for items in the bulletin, nor for any results anyone obtains by following up on a particular item.  Readers use their own discretion and are responsible for checking out the items themselves.  No medical advice is intended by the posting of information regarding physicians or articles and information related to health.

 

Official MCS Cult Film Nomination

I just watched the movie Safe starring Julianne Moore and written and directed by Todd Haynes. It's a fictional Hollywood movie made in 1999 about a woman who becomes chemically sensitive. Naturally, I was curious. The CD jacket summary says it's "...a bold, darkly comic, completely original drama...feel free to laugh or scream." Darkly comic? Laugh? What am I missing? Is chemical sensitivity funny to people in Hollywood?

The main character, "Carol" played by Julianne Moore, is a suburban housewife living in the San Fernando valley in the late 1980s. She spends her days having lunch with friends, taking dancercise classes (remember those?), remodeling her house, running errands, and going to baby showers. One by one toxic exposures are introduced: new furniture, interior painting, pesticide spraying, dry cleaning pick up, freeway driving, and her husband is shown dousing himself with aerosol deodorant, hairspray, cologne and aftershave. Then she gets her hair permed.  She plunges into illness with coughing fits, rashes, respiratory failure, fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, and even has a seizure. Her doctor is realistically useless, her husband is an insensitive ass, and her friends look at her as if she's crazy.

Sounds fairly accurate, doesn't it? I think this movie would be fun to watch with other MCSers so we could all gasp, moan, and scream in shared horror, understanding and camaraderie. It has the potential to be a cult film. We would all yell DON'T DO IT in unison especially during the beauty parlor scene.  Maybe that's what is comic about it? If it wasn't for the outrageously horrible acting, bad scriptwriting, and lousy plot, I might have empathetically enjoyed watching all that suffering. I can say it's one of the worst films I've ever seen.

"Carol" ends up at a co-housing retreat for the chemically sensitive. It's a strange place that would have given me the willies, but as the movie viewer I'm hoping it'll be a safe place for her and she'd find some relief from the L.A. poisons. They have creepy group meetings where they are forced to listen to sermons given by the cult-like leader, they chant affirmations, and they are given odd rules regarding meals, but the place is not so restrictive that her visiting husband can't wear his cologne. Hmmm...Strangely enough she continues to be sick and even gets sicker the longer she's there. Although she's very passive and soft-spoken throughout the movie, she timidly voices her concern about the fumes around her cabin. Management's response is a bit of psycho-babble. Hmmm...why is the place so toxic?

Then the theme and underlying message presents itself. Near the end there is a scene where the incredibly irritating guru-type leader is outside with a small group of participants and he's addressing each one individually demanding to know, "How did YOU make YOURSELF sick?"

WHAT? WHAT did he say? I thought my hearing was off, but thankfully he repeats the question over and over again so the audience doesn't miss it.

"HOW DID YOU MAKE YOURSELF SICK?"

Almost all the patients had stories about past mental trauma which created a psychological reaction which manifested itself into their illness. They felt overwhelmingly guilty. They knew their illness was their fault. WHAT??? As the guru questioned each participant, I waited for someone to clarify that MCS is not a psychological condition.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Carol smiles sweetly and passes, refusing to answer. Finally, the last patient he asks gives him such a hostile look I'm thinking she'll be the one to set it all straight. The leader taunts her and demands she be honest with herself and the group.  She glares at him as if to say I'll give you honesty, ass-wipe! and through gritted teeth she yells she wants to get a gun and kill everyone who made her sick. HOORAY! Now I can relate to her perspective! Unfortunately, this character is only being used to show how very mentally disturbed MCSers can be and she is told she is not being honest with herself and until she is, she will continue to be ill. The ass-wipe sarcastically and condescendingly laughs as he shakes his head and explains to the group she has a lot of work to do. I don't know why she stays. I would have walked out. I was absolutely livid.

This ending explains the movie's opening scene with poor Carol bored to tears while having sex with her husband. It's an aerial view so you can see the look on her face which clearly screams, "I can't wait to get this over with!" Sex is something that is insufferable - a marital duty. Throughout the whole movie I was wondering what was the purpose of that scene? It seemed so out of place until the psycho-group scene which makes a very clear statement: we are all just nut cases creating this illness to deal with our boring lives.

By the end of the movie, even in this so-called safe environment, Carol's health has declined to the point where she is practically unrecognizable. I guess she still hasn't accepted she caused her illness and it's going to kill her. In the last scene we find her staring at the mirror in her porcelain-lined, sterile cabin saying to herself repeatedly, "I love you." She has caved and accepted she is the cause. Not the chemicals. Not the poisons. She is the cause of her illness. Now THAT is kind of laughable, but I really don't think it was supposed to be. Or maybe it was and I just don't find it funny?

I am shocked someone admitted to watching this movie for research let alone suggested I see it as if it is an accurate portrayal of chemical sensitivity. It was so poorly done. I was very surprised Hollywood would make a feature film on MCS, but unfortunately it fails in every way. I think the AMA or some chemical company produced it. Siskel & Ebert gave it two thumbs up. Really? I have lost all respect for Siskel & Ebert.

How did YOU make YOURSELF sick?

Easy answer: I watched this movie.

Entertainment, Part Ten: My Computer, My Playground

How did I ever live without a computer?

Living just beyond civilization without radio or television or even a telephone, my computer is my only contact with the real world. It's how I communicate with people, pay bills, balance my checkbook, keep up on news, get weather updates and all manner of general day-to-day life management and business. It also keeps me from going insane with isolation and boredom. Here are some of the ways I entertain myself using my computer:

Email  Who needs a phone? No one writes letters anymore. This is my primary mode of correspondence with friends, relatives, business associates and even complete strangers. The greatest thing about email for someone who is chemically sensitive is it's communication without human contact! I can't imagine having MCS twenty years ago without the technology that makes our lives easier. I would have found ways to survive, but not as efficiently as I am able with all this assistance at my fingertips (literally!).

Writing Remember typewriters? White out? Mimeograph copies? Carbon copies? Wow. Times have changed. I love to write. Journal entries, letters, short stories, magazine articles, websites, discussion groups, comment sections, online activism, and blogs. Attach the document to an email and who needs snail mail?

Reading  I read blogs, websites, short stories, magazine articles, comment sections, discussions on lists, recipes, and research information on various subjects. I could download a fictional ebook on my computer, but I still love holding a book in my hands and curling up in a comfy chair. Well, as long as it doesn't stink of print dye or someone else's perfume.

Library  I can do all my library business online, order through interlibrary loans, see what's available, put items on hold. Before I even check out the item, watching my hold numbers is fun for me. Strange, I know.

Art by Danny Roberts

Art  There are all kinds of art software for computers like Sketchpad, iPaint, Photoshop, etc. Lately I've been having a blast using my scanner to scan pictures and my digital camera to download photographs. Incredibly fun. There are many artist websites, videos, and galleries for viewing as well as museum and gallery sites. My latest favorite artist: http://dannyroberts.com/

http://dannyrobertsartstore.blogspot.com/

Games  I have to admit, I'm not a game player, but I know they are available to those who enjoy this type of entertainment. Also, virtual worlds and other fantasy games are in abundance.

Music Music may be downloaded for listening or purchase and your favorite CDs may be played right on your computer. Nearly any song you've ever heard is now available on YouTube often accompanied by photo montages or video clips created by music fans. Radio stations are even online.


Videos  YouTube is spectacular. Unfortunately, I can sit around all day watching footage of concerts, music videos, movie trailers, clips from movies, clips from television shows, animals doing cute things, animals doing not so cute things, people doing really stupid things, babies laughing, memorial montages, news briefs, comedy routines, people talking about anything or nothing, etc. You name it, there is a video out there for you to watch.



Movies  Hulu.com is the best website for free movies, old and new. I have also watched old movies through YouTube, one scene at a time. Many local libraries have movie downloads for patron home use and most computers now accept DVDs to be watched right on the computer screen. Every now and then I consider buying a big-screen TV so I can hook it up to my computer. Maybe someday. 

Warning:  I once had a friend tell me about a movie site you could download recently released movies for free. Yeah, it sounded fishy, but this was the same friend who told me about Hulu so I thought he knew what he was talking about. It was an illegal site, and I got my first virus. Do be careful and unless you know the site, don't be downloading anything.



Television  Hulu.com, again. Before Hulu came on the scene, I never watched TV. Now I'm a television junkie. My current favorite shows are: Smash and Once Upon a Time, although I'm growing fond of New Girl, Touch and Missing. And yes, on occasion I watch The Vampire Diaries. It's my guilty pleasure. Ian Somerhalder is dreamy. I am rather fond of checking out whole seasons of television shows from the library and watching them on the computer. No commercials! The only thing missing is awards shows like the American Music Awards, Academy Awards, Tony Awards or Grammy Awards are never online. Darn.



Stalking & Lurking  I love reading Facebook and Twitter posts.  There is something sleazy and stalker-ish about reading someone's inner thoughts and seeing their private photos without them knowing. Celebrity stalking is really fun and it keeps me updated on pop culture. I really hate it when people make their social networking accounts private.  Social media is like going to a party without the stink.

Although I am a huge fan of computer technology, I do worry about EMFs (electromagnetic fields) and radiation with all the electronic devices available these days. Those of us chemically sensitive are susceptible to becoming overloaded with EMF exposure creating many symptoms we already experience plus a few other health concerns: chronic fatigue, joint pain, nausea, brain function issues, heart problems and cancer. I can't imagine what I would do if ever I became sensitive to my computer!

As it is I have two computers and two screens on my desk in an office located away from my sleeping area. In hopes of alleviating some exposure and more importantly, because I'm a bit of a non-materialistic minimalist, I'm way behind with most technological advances (other than computers) and getting farther behind with every passing year, sorry to say. I don't use cell phones or smartphones, Kindles, microwave ovens, electric blankets, hair dryers, answering machines, or cordless appliances. I do have home wiring, an electric clock and a digital camera, but I'm not living under power lines and I avoid getting radiated at the doctor's and dentist's offices.

Does this help? I doubt it. With all the EMFs created by all the technological junkies, I don't think my minimalist approach matters. We are doomed!!  I think in time society will pay with technology-related health issues we have not yet imagined, and as the canaries, we will be the first in line.

What have I forgotten? How do you use your computer for entertainment?

Entertainment, Part Five: Movies

Pre-MCS, when I lived in the city I used to go to a movie nearly once a week. There is something tantalizing about sitting in a theater packed to the rafters with popcorn-munching movie-goers. It's like a microcosm of humanity and as one entity, we laugh, cry and scream together in unison. I'll never forget the scene in The Sixth Sense when the little boy is up in the middle of the night peeing and as the ghost shadow passes in front of the camera, everyone in the whole audience screamed. HA! So fun .

             

In the city I'd often get free tickets to an opening night showing with guest speakers, special events and prizes. I even loved the smell of fake popcorn butter and never missed a chance to eat large-sized bags of M&Ms. Not only could I tolerate the junk food, but perfumes, colognes and shampoo smells didn't even register.

Chemical sensitivity forced me to movie-going during the week,  the first matinee when few people were out of bed let alone buying popcorn. At some theaters I'd check in advance which movie was showing in which theater unit as the larger-sized theaters had better air ventilation. This usually worked, but all it took was one smelly person to contaminate the air space and I'd be forced to sacrifice the cost of a ticket and leave. After a while, I stopped trying.

This last Christmas I went to a movie theater for the first time in about eight years! It was located at a theater complex in a small, neighboring town. I went to the first show, and surprisingly, there were quite a few people in the theater on Christmas Day.  No smell! Not even the popcorn smell bothered me.  I was thankful small-town folk don't use much perfume. OR I wondered if living in the country has made me less sensitive? This single treat at Christmas made me feel like a real person again! It was thrilling.

My movie theater days are pretty much over. Instead, I'll get DVDs or videos from the local video store or library. The video store is off my list as the last DVD came covered with the owner's perfume stench. This can be a problem with library-owned items as well as you never know who will check it out or handle it before you.

The new technology of downloading programs makes movie watching exceptionally convenient. Click, click and watch the movie right on your home computer. No stink at all! Some library systems have added this option to their services.

I had Netflix for a short time. These days you can have the DVDs mailed to your home or download them on your computer. After a while I felt addicted and with this addiction I was watching far too many bad movies. Also, with the mailed DVDs, I was getting too many discs that were damaged which is very frustrating.

Regardless of how I get them, I've gotten really used to the convenience of movies in my home. As thrilling as the Christmas Day movie attendance was, I could hear every candy bar wrapper and every crunchy popcorn kernel. Damn if the guy behind me wasn't tapping his foot on the back of my chair and WOULD YOU ALL JUST STOP TALKING WHILE THE MOVIE IS ON???? I thought I would climb out of my skin with all the distraction!

How is your movie experience?

What is your favorite movie?