reading the jj collective: a carcinogen?

(Joshua Masayoshi Huff)

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (associated with the World Health Organization..I know, right? WHO?) said that working the graveyard shift is a probably carcinogen.

Fine, it's not particularly relevant to me at this point in my life, and cancer is nothing to joke about. We've all lost people dear to us because of this terrible affliction.

However, it seems like everything these days is a carcinogen. Using my cellphone. Drinking coffee (well, coffee is a carcinogen and an anti-carcinogen, somehow, which probably illustrates the problem at hand...nobody REALLY KNOWS what causes cancer). Eating McDonalds. Watching TV.

What's next? Playing basketball? Riding my bike? Typing these posts?

Like I said, I'm not trying to make light of cancer--though the article itself says that working the graveyard shift is only a "possible cause" of cancer. It's really more dangerous biologically to work at night? That just amazes me, to be honest.

It's a serious disease that touches us all. I don't really think it's smart science to push out "possible causes". People already say this and that and everything in-between cause cancer, and I mean, we just have no way of telling what actually does and doesn't. Sure, we should live healthily--but there are certain lines to draw. I just think we need a better correlation than "possibly". People are going to blow that into "probably" and "definitely", and everybody is going to be afraid to work the graveyard shift (even more than they already are).


---
To follow our ongoing thoughts and conversation about Sean Taylor's tragic, unfortunate and untimely passing, we provide the following link:

ESPN.com has a story about other NFL players fearing for their lives.



And two posts about death in the last two days by yours truly? We need some happier news.