Riding the bus offers me ample opportunity to read. The most recent book I read was “The Art of War: In Sun Tzu’s Own Words” by Gary Gagliardi.

The Art of War is a military classic. However, most readers are business people, not military leaders. It is required reading in some business school curriculums. The lessons contained within apply to any competitive pursuit in our professional and personal lives.

It’s written in a very simple and clear style. It’s a breezy read, and almost too elementary sounding at times. The simplicity on the surface hides a richness of meaning within the text. You will need to pause and think while you read. Since the text addresses military situations, you have to do your own translation of the scenario to business or personal dealings in your own life.

You hear of people going to war too quickly.

Still, you won’t see a skilled war that lasts a long time.

You can fight a war for a long time or you can make your nation strong.

You can’t do both.

Sun Tzu’s 2000 year old military wisdom applies today, and he knew nothing of “weapons of mass destruction” or vast oil reserves in the desert.

The last chapter addresses the use of spies. You’re not managing spies, but you are gathering intelligence on your own life circumstances. You’re doing your research online. Your friend might work at a company you’re interested in working at.

I started thinking about my own life circumstances and how it feels a little bit like war. I’m separated from my child, and will be for several months. Now that my personal finances are thoroughly Chernobylized, I am forced to use Chapter 7. I can’t “go home” until the job is done. A case of MRE’s purchased in preparation for hurricane season and stashed in the cupboard underscores the war-like feeling here even more.

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My only experience with childbirth was a natural one attended by a midwife. When Renee asked me to go see “The Business of Being Born,” I thought, “I’m already a believer, why do I need to see it?” I’m glad I did. My own personal experience made me a believer. This film strengthened my convictions.

Intrinsically, I knew that a natural childbirth was best, but I wasn’t going to push it. It’s our baby, but her body. Renee would have the final say on this one. She chose a natural childbirth with a midwife and has elected to breastfeed for as long as it’s feasible. I am thrilled at her decision.

Childbirth In the U.S.

I always thought a woman could opt for an un-medicated vaginal birth in the hospital. The OB/GYN was on-hand just in case something went wrong. The film shows you that’s not the case. This is the typical chain of events that will follow after a woman in labor is admitted:

1. An expectant mother is sick of being pregnant. She wants to get this baby out.
2. She asks for an epidural.
3. She’s so zonked out, she can’t push properly
4. Pitocin is administered via IV to induce contractions.
5. The baby isn’t coming out. More pitocin is administered.
6. The contractions are so strong, the baby goes into distress.
7. An emergency C-section becomes necessary.

The United States is supposed to be the most technologically advanced nation in the world yet it has the second highest newborn mortality rate in the developed world.

It seems like everything we do in the United States is backwards. (Don’t get me started on the metric system) According to the statistics quoted in the film:

• 70% of births outside the United States is attended by a midwife. It’s less than 8% in the U.S.
• In 1900, 90% of births in the U.S. were home births.
• In 1938, the number dropped to 50%.
• By 1955, it was less than 1%. It remains that number to this day.

When I did a search for Pitocin on Wikipedia, it takes me straight to the page on ocytocin. In all fairness, pitocin is the synthetic version of ocytocin. Rats. I thought I had uncovered a little conspiracy. However:

• Ocytocin is produced in the brain. Pitocin is administered intravenously.
• Ocytocin has a chance to act on the brain before it’s released into the bloodstream. Pitocin does not.
• Ocytocin enters the bloodstream in surges. Pitocin comes in a steady stream via IV.

The C-Section Factory

I remember in school, during a discussion about childbirth, a student piped up and said he was delivered via C-section. The first thought that popped into my head was, “I always knew there was something a little ‘off’ about this kid. I didn’t realize how commonplace it is.

I understand that a C-section is medically necessary in certain situations. In cases where it’s a high-risk pregnancy (diabetes, multiples, other medical conditions) it’s the only option. There was no way Kate Gosselin could deliver the sextuplets vaginally.

Too Posh to Push

We live in a performance and results oriented society. Natural childbirth offers too much of a margin for some schedules. Celebrity moms, career-track moms, and many others are electing for the “scheduled C.” An even more disturbing trend is the c-section and tummy tuck package deal.

The motivation behind an elective c-section is often fear. Much of what we know is from the media we absorb. In movies and on television, 3-month old babies are cast as newborns. A 3 month old baby is significantly larger than a newborn. A woman might see that “newborn” on TV and think, “no way am I going to push something that big out of me!!!”

The Choice is Ultimately Yours

I’m only qualified to speak to you about this from the father’s point of view. I wasn’t the one whose body would be irreversibly altered by this experience. I wasn’t the one doing the pushing. I wasn’t the one who could opt to be medicated. However, I have made decisions in the past while disregarding an entire set of data that in retrospect would have changed the decision I ultimately made. Those decisions are insignificant next to the birth of my child.

The birth of a child is the most profound experience you will ever have. All of the options available to you are worthy of your due consideration.

Buy “The Business of Being Born” on DVD.

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Last week, I went to 3 events I found through Meetup.com:

• South Florida Graphic Design/Creative Meetup
• South Florida Web Design Meetup
• Babies, Toddlers, and Little People Meetup

So far, meetup.com is 3 for 3. I met some great folks in my industry at the design meetups. I was especially looking forward to the Babies, Toddlers and Little People meetup. Renee was at one of their meetups earlier this year.

The organizer of this particular meetup is Jordanna Egan. She runs a licensed home day care center here in South Florida. She uses the group to promote her business and foster a sense of community. Renee and I felt an immediate kinship with her. Her two children are named Austin and Erianna.

Renee and I continue to get better networked locally. One segment of our circle of friends is an older bunch without children. That was the group we spent most of our social time with until the baby was born. They are a wonderful bunch, but we were hungry for circumstantial peers – other local folks our age with children. Meetup.com is proving to be a great way to fill that need.

If you haven’t checked out meetup.com, it’s worth a look. This concludes my wholehearted, sincere, unpaid, and unsolicited endorsement of meetup.com.

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Bosch PS20-2 Litheon 10.8-Volt Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver

Power tools make dad’s life easier. The job gets done quicker. They feed our need for gadgets and other toys. This one will even get mom’s approval.

Were you seduced by false economy and bought the cheap power screwdriver? The cheapo-depot specials use nickel cadmium batteries, so their charge is suspect. The batteries drain while sitting on the shelf. They also developed the much-dreaded memory effect. Halfway through assembling your latest Ikea purchase, the screwdriver quits on you.

The Bosch PS20-2 Litheon 10.8-Volt Lithium-Ion Pocket Driver is the answer. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made.

• The lithium ion batteries hold their charge so the Bosch PS20-2 Pocket Driver is always ready for the task.
• It comes with a second battery so you can work uninterrupted.
• The battery charges in only 30 minutes.
• With the proper bits, you can do some very light-duty drilling. No need to bring out the 18-volt behemoth to drill drywall.
• The rubberized grip makes it comfortable to hold and use.
• It’s small and lightweight. The wife and your older children can wield this tool very effectively too.

Everyone from the über-handyman to the occasional DIY’er will get plenty of use out of this little gem. Any project goes by faster with power tools, especially when you have a Bosch Pocket Driver. You’re less fatigued at the end of a project due to the Pocket Driver’s light weight and the time you saved.

Baby-proofing efforts in my house will have to step up in the next few months. I have a whole pile of kitchen cabinet safety latches to install. The only tools I’ll need are the Bosch Pocket Driver, a pencil, and a ruler.

It’s a little more expensive than most cordless electric drivers, but it gets the job done and won’t quit on you. I’m a firm believer in spending a little bit extra for quality and durability.

Bosch also makes a full line of lithium-ion powered cordless tools. If you’re reading this blog, you’re tech-savvy enough to understand the benefits of lithium-ion battery power. They’re awesome in my laptop. Imagine how much they’ll rock your world in the form of a 36V circular saw.

]]> http://www.21stcenturydad.com/2008/01/25/dads-tools-the-bosch-ps20-2-litheon-108-volt-lithium-ion-pocket-driver/feed/ 0 http://www.21stcenturydad.com/2008/01/18/babies-require-aa-batteries/ http://www.21stcenturydad.com/2008/01/18/babies-require-aa-batteries/#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:07:41 +0000 21st Century Dad http://www.21stcenturydad.com/2008/01/18/babies-require-aa-batteries/ Why is it that battery operated baby toys take 3 batteries? These things are sold in multiples of 2, with a 4-pack being the most common. I don’t own enough clocks and keychain-sized flashlights to utilize all the leftover AA or AAA batteries. As for larger toys, I haven’t found a use for the orphaned single C or D cells.

As your baby grows, so will her toy collection. Some 3th grade math will tell you that buying 24 batteries will power 8 toys. You can keep these magic cylinders out of the battery orphanage.

Being Green Saves You Greenbacks

It doesn’t make sense to use alkalines. Nickel metal hydride (or NiMH) rechargeables are your best bet. You will recoup their premium over alkalines after two charges. They are good for many more charge/discharge cycles. This makes sense for your wallet and for the environment.

Sometimes you can score a deal and get a charger bundled with some batteries. You might even get lucky and get a 60, 30, or 15 minute rapid charger. Brute force charging will shorten the lifespan of these little metal cylinders. These little metal cylinders are an integral part of maintaining your child’s pleasant disposition. Your batteries deserve better.

A Better Battery Charger

The La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger is the best battery charger available today. You don’t give much thought to a battery charger. Pop the batteries in and wait for the red LED to turn green. Thoughtlessness will kill your batteries as fast as the child who just discovered how to make Dora say “¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?” enough times to make you think you live in Miami.

I shelled out full-pop before the price drop to $39.95. I didn’t buy an iPhone, but I paid the nerd tax on this one. It’s worth every penny, even at the original price of $79.95. Here’s why:

• Trickle charge or rapid-charge your AA’s and AAA’s. Trickle charging gives you more battery life per charge and many more charge/discharge cycles.
• It’s smart enough to keep batteries topped off after they’re fully charged. You’ll have full-capacity batteries ready to go. Typical NiMH’s lose charge while on sitting on your shelf or in your kitchen junk drawer.
• Can be set to fully discharge partially drained batteries before recharging them, further enhancing battery life.
• There’s a “Refresh” mode that reconditions poor performing batteries.
• Each charging slot is discrete and works independent of the others. Perfect for when you have to charge the 3 batteries from one of those pesky 4.5 volt devices.
• Works on archaic nickel cadmium rechargeables too. Battery type is automatically detected.
• It doesn’t get hot when plugged in and unused.
• The charger is bundled with 4 AA’s, 4 AAA’s, and 4 C and D cell adapters. Now you don’t have to try and find rechargeable C or D cells. The extra batteries and the C and D adapters are worth $30 alone!

The Savings Continue

Every time you charge a set of batteries, you save $5 or more. Between your child’s toy collection and your own gadgets, this charger will pay for itself quickly. I bought mine on Amazon a year and a half ago and the savings continue to rack up. I love the smell of nickel metal hydride in the morning.

Don’t be seduced by false economy and settle for “basura barata” when it comes to battery chargers. The BC-900 maintains healthy batteries long after a rapid charger has finished sucking the life out of these magic little cylinders. The refresh feature has saved a few batteries I thought were toast.

The manual is written in “Engrish,” but well worth your diligence to decipher. The demo video on the manufacturer’s site is of some help, but it’s more of a sales pitch than an informative video.

If I stopped you from buying a bunch of alkaline batteries, pass some of the savings along and make a donation.

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