16 lagunabeachindy . com DECEMBER 8 , 2023
Advent Tree
By JoHn tynan
And I ’ m sitting alone in my apartment on what passes for a bitterly cold December evening in Laguna Beach – while you ’ re sleeping wherever one day ’ s drive from Baltimore would take you , as we are planning to see one another again for Christmas – thinking I have nothing in the fridge to eat , which is OK ( I lie to myself ) given there ’ s no table upon which to put the food that I do not have and but one chair upon which to sit at the nonexistent table , while you carry everything you ’ ve ever owned in
the hatch and seats of your Civic automobile , yet you have space enough for me in your heart .
Nine months have passed since our last physical contact . Too long saccharine love letters and too short phone calls at awkward hours ( owing to the time difference ) sustain us until our reunion , now just three days away , for which I presently keep solitary watch in your new home , our meager dwelling above Third Street , my back pressed against the solitary chair , as I gaze out the window watching neighbors ’ holiday lights twinkle and blink , upon night ’ s black canvas , a coded message only I can decipher – M-Y-L-O-V-E-W- I-L-L-B-E-H-E-R-E-S-O-O-N .
The next night comes , this darker and colder than the last , and I ’ m inclined to sit once more in my chair contemplating where your head may lie at the end of the second day , still sensing the distance between us more than your approach and my eyes fall to the patch of floor on which gifts would be piled under the Christmas tree – if there were a tree – to find it currently occupied by but two meager boxes , each of a size fit to hold nothing more than an engagement ring , which arouses nervous anticipation and
TYNAN , PAGE 22
The palm tree ornament received as a white elephant gift for Christmas 1991 has topped the Tynan Christmas tree since 1992 . Photo courtesy of John Tynan
GUEST OPINION :
Let ’ s Get the Facts Straight on Roundup
By raMin PeJan and ContriButors
In his guest column in the Indy last week , Chris Reed , a retired chemistry professor penned a passionate endorsement of Roundup . Dr . Reed made several misleading and false statements . We address his most problematic statements below .
Reed : “ In a recent Indy guest column , Ramin Pejan compared Roundup to DDT . This is pure fearmongering .”
BRING IN A NEW , UNWRAPPED TOY AND GET A HEALTH CONSULTATION , COMPLIMENTARY ADJUSTMENT , & SESSION OF THERAPEUTIC BODYWORK !
We are partnering with Spark of Love through the Laguna Beach Fire Department to host a Toy Drive ! We hope that you can help us collect and distribute new , unwrapped toys and sports equipment for underserved children and teens .
Call 949-497-2553 or go to healthinbalance . com / aloholiday to schedule your visit and drop-off !
Our response : This is false . Mr . Pejan ’ s exact words in the Indy were : “ Monsanto , who has produced and sold Agent Orange and DDT , has , for years , urged that Roundup is perfectly safe ( just like it did with DDT ).” He was questioning the claims that Monsanto has made about Roundup based on false representations it had made about DDT .
Reed : “[ Roundup ] typically decomposes in soil within days . USDA Forest Service ’ s herbicide informational profile on glyphosate is a good source …”
Our response : Dr . Reed refers readers to an outdated 25-year-old publication . Since then , numerous peer-reviewed studies have found that Roundup can take anywhere between days to over a year to degrade in soil .
Reed : “ The success of billion-dollar lawsuits against Monsanto , now Bayer , is often taken as proof that Roundup is a deadly toxin . However , class action lawyers are a relentless bunch , and juries often don ’ t have a clue about science . Sure , if a barrel of concentrated Roundup spills on your head , expect problems .”
Our response : To win a civil case against Bayer , plaintiffs would need to convince up to twelve jurors that their cancer was more likely than not caused by Roundup .
Monsanto and Bayer have spent millions of dollars hiring the best lawyers yet have lost billions in multiple cases . Many cases are filed by residential users who have used it according to instructions .
Dr . Reed should meet with families who have lost loved ones and explain that they are “ just playing the system ,” as he alleges .
Reed : “ People like to quote a single scientific study that they have found to support Roundup toxicity . This is classic confirmation bias ….”
Our response : This is false . We have accumulated a science table with over 40 peer-reviewed studies showing Roundup is dangerous to health and the environment , and there are many more . We also refer readers to EPA ’ s 2020 determination finding that 1,676 endangered species are likely to be harmed or killed by glyphosate and that glyphosate adversely modifies critical habitat for 759 endangered species .
Reed : “ The World Health Organization ( WHO ) is notorious for listing chemicals as potential carcinogens after a single suggestive scientific study is published .”
Our response : This is false . The WHO , in finding glyphosate is a probable carcinogen , relied on 118 peer-reviewed studies , 70 percent of which found a positive link to
PEJAN , PAGE 20