Finished grading essays, yea! Most students chose to write on character education rather than John Dewey. This is what always happens when I give a choice in essays, which is a shame since learning about Dewey is a lot more important (and I pessimistically suspect it means the part of the reading that focused on Dewey's theories was not read by many of the students who chose the character question). It is always a struggle for me, the tension between letting students be self-directed and have lots of leadership opportunities, something that seems so vital to learning, and on the other hand, having to accept that with flexibility students will decide to leave out studying something really vital. Sigh. Anyway, overall they were a good batch of assignments - summer students are a serious bunch.

It is over a month since I started to wear my orthopedic shoes - and a few weeks since I have been using the orthotic inserts. I am happy to report that my feet are doing great; another triumph for alternative therapies, instead of our beloved medical model!! Related to the beloved, in the news this week, lots of attention on the risks to women of hormone replacement therapy. This is something that I had suspected for a long time; I remember whispers of possible problems for years. Now it has been validated. I think the Patti LaBelle commercial, where she is singing about a new attitude, is pretty irritating. Of course, I find most advertisements for prescription drugs to be obnoxious. Such a big industry. As if a pill is always the best approach to wellness! Certainly it is easier than approaches that involve taking responsibility, though, right?

But the hormone ads especially bother me, because of the cruelty to horses involved in the manufacture of Premarin. Some women act like hormone replacement therapy to help with the unpleasant symptoms of menopause is some kind of right in the sacred choice arena, and many doctors seem to think that it would be silly to not embrace it if there is any discomfort. It is the #2 prescribed drug! So the study's findings were good news for horses. Maybe now that increases in strokes, cancer and heart disease have been linked to these hormones, everyone will get a new attitude, the Premarin mares will have a chance, and the doomed foals will never be born. Oh, I hope so.