My Mom's Here!

And she is ready to work!

Lots to do. Wooo hooo hooooooooo!

It's so frikin' near; the thought brings a tear; for the crowd there's lots of beer; 4 days, it's almost here!

Hehehe. Excitement is oozing from my pores. And glad to have my mama here! :)

"Going to the Chapel...

and we're gonna get ma-a-ar-ried."

Well we're not actually going to the chapel but we are definitley getting married. That is a line from my all time favorie song, Going to the Chapel of Love by the Dixie Cups. I can remember being 4 years old, singing all the words and being as happy as could be. I actually called the radio station and asked them to play it. I described it as, "the going to the chapel song." Unfortunately, the guy told me he had no idea what I was talking about and to stop playing on the phone. I remember crying and teling my mom... mean old punk; how could he not know what I was talking about? Turd.

Anyhoo, I have always loved the song and am still in awe that I myself will be getting married... in 4 days!!!!! Funny, it has almost been been 4 years. Our first date was in October 2005 and the almost 3 year engagement has been so much fun. 4 days... yeah...

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!!!! 7 Days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7, yep, 7. Seven whole days until I marry the love of my life... thus the absolute lack of posting for an entire MONTH! Sad, ridiculous, unacceptable, I know. We have loads of stuff left to do but are enjoying every second. :)

We also have ACL this weekend... my 3rd time but the first rainy one for me and everybody else! ACL is usually in September (when it is hot, dusty, and at the same time as the UT game). they decided to move it to October this year, one week before our wedding! And now it's raining... and is fore casted to rain all the way through Friday... now one day before our wedding.

Oh geeeeeeeeeez.

Here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I Dreaming?

Nope. I am fully awake and have entered my first " free" day in 18-weeks. We FINALLY finished our class and are out until October 27th!!! Now all that's left is to get married and go to Hawaii!

Whew! This last class felt like the first two combined, only a tad worse. We have completed 3 classes, so only 14 more to go! But for now, we are focusing on the next 2 months and all of their glory.

HOOOOOOOOORAY!

Quote of the Day - 8.29.09 - Dad's Wisdom

A wise message from Dad:

"Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again..."

~Old proverb~


Enjoy every moment of life.

Shoveling Change

I had the weirdest dream last night... along with some crazy ones I can't quite remember, I dreamt that was walking to the coke machine very late at night. I kept looking over my shoulder (which I do anyway) but for some reason, I was extremely creeped out. When I got to the machine, I put my money in and pushed the wrong button (I wanted coke but pushed Diet Dr. Pepper) and then quickly pushed the right button. The can came out and I had not pushed the correct button in time because it was Diet Dr. Pepper; however; another came tumbling out, and another, and yet another. When I had retrieved all 3, money started pouring out of the machine as well. At this point, I had a decision to make because I had no where to put all the change. I came up with an idea that would require some less than "safe" tactics; I could only haul them in my shirt, except that it would require a large part of my belly to show the entire way back to the house. At this creepy point in time, it didn't seem smart but at the same time, I couldn't leave all that change! So, I started shoveling the change into my shirt and ran for the house. And happily ever after, I made it alive and that much richer.

I looked for it this morning... nothin'.

The Real Countdown Begins...

I can barely believe that all this time has gone by! Jon proposed on New Year's Eve 2006 at Shakespeare's downtown; it was beautiful and warm and with family and friends. Since then, it has been a lot of fun times being engaged and a time I will never forget.

We will be Mr. and Mrs. Jones on October 10, 2009 and the last minute frenzy has really begun! I cannot believe I will married to my absolute Prince Charming in less than 2 months (it is also our 4 year anniversary). I am blessed and cannot wait to begin the rest if lives. :)

Wish us luck! I am gonna cry like a frikin' baby the whole way through... I can just see it now...

Still Kickin'

Blood, sweat, tears, and 15 weeks later, Jon and I have officially made it through two and a half Master's classes. This one is kind of tough and our social life (or mine at least) has officially flown out the window. We have three weeks until our break for the wedding and we can barely take the wait!

I know I can make it through this Master's but there are times when I have to slap myself a couple of times to get through the night. It doesn't come as easily to me as others but I am holding strong with a 4.0. We'll see what happens here in the next three weeks...

Nonetheless, I have learned so much and am excited to continue on!

I Will Love Them Forever

Golden Girls - one of the best shows ever made, no doubt about it.

Those three women will forever be my heros and the amaziness of Golden Girls forever in my heart.

The Golden Girls - Just incredible writing, acting, and soul.

Reminds Me of Dad - The Best Song Ever

I heard this song awhile ago and it is totally amazing. In my opinion, it embodies the joy of music and life... and it just makes me happy. I absolutely love this song!

This is "People are Crazy". I definitely am, God is SUPER great and beer is totally good.

Enjoy this awesomeness and pass it around because the message is SO true and should be enjoyed by EVERYONE.

(Above video found here.)

Oh my... he is coming!

Oh... my... goodness... I am still trying to catch my breath. David Garza will be at ACL this year and Jon and I will be there!

(David Garza at ACL - photo by Steve Hopson)

David has been in my top 3 for years and I have Jonathan to thank. He introduced me when we first started dating and I have been in love ever since (with both of them!).

I have been waiting for him to be at ACL since I first heard his amaziness and he is finally back! He is super fantabulous and totally great. Check David Garza out HERE and dude, go see a show!

In 1999 David was voted in the Austin Chronicle as the No. 2 Austin Musician of the Decade, behind only Stevie Ray Vaughn (http://4thcitynoise.blogspot.com/).

Are You on the Ball?

No? Well, then get on!

I have been sitting on my ab ball since January 29, 2009 and it is awesome.

I was going to post something the other day but never got a chance and then when I got home today, I had a message- the girl that inspired me (and who's picture is on my first ball post) found the picture I used on my blog and sent me a message. She inspired me and I hope to inspire you!

Go get a ball. They are cheap, cheap and can be used at work or home or both! Just give it a try and see what kind of results you get.

Do it.

Basics of Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism

The risk factors for development of hyperthyroidism or Graves' disease include personal or family history of thyroid or autoimmune disease, recent pregnancy, and exposure to iodine, among other factors.

Some of the key risk factors and triggers for Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism include the following:

Gender -- Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism affect women 8 times more often than men.

History -- Having any past history of thyroid problems, autoimmune disease, or endocrine disease yourself or in your family puts you at greater risk for developing Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism.

Age -- The riskiest age for developing Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism is between 20 and 40.

Pregnancy -- Pregnancy and the year after childbirth are both times of greater risk for Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism

Smoking -- There is an increased risk of Graves' disease in smokers. Smokers with Graves' ophthalmopathy tend to have more severe symptoms that are more resistant to treatment.

Excessive Intake of Thyroid Hormone -- Taking too much prescription thyroid hormone -- whether by accident, or by deliberate self-medication can cause hyperthyroidism. Some over-the-counter energy, diet and glandular supplements also may contain some active thyroid hormone, which can cause hyperthyroidism. (Read Could You Be Hyperthyroid Due to Being Overmedicated?)

Exposure to or Excess of Iodine/Iodine Drugs -- Being exposed to or ingesting an excess of iodine, whether through medical tests, topical exposure, or ingesting of iodine or supplements containing iodine (i.e., kelp, bladderwrack) can trigger hyperthyroidism.

Certain Medical Treatments and Drugs -- Some treatments and medications can trigger Graves' disease and/or thyrotoxicosis in some people, including: Interferon Beta-1b and Interleukin-4, immunosuppressant therapy, antiretroviral treatment for AIDS, and lithium. There are two particular treatments that are known triggers: a third of patients receiving monoclonal antibody (Campath-1H) therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) develop Graves' disease within six months, and receiving a donated organ or bone marrow transplant from someone with Graves' disease can also cause the disease in the recipient.

Trauma to the Thyroid -- Thyroid trauma can trigger hyperthyroidism in some people. The types of trauma include vigorous manipulation or palpation of the thyroid; surgery to the thyroid, parathyroids, or the area surrounding the thyroid; injection to the thyroid; biopsy of the thyroid; and neck injury, i.e., whiplash, or from an automobile seat belt after a crash.

Major Stress -- Stress is a factor that appears to trigger the onset of Graves' disease in some patients. Researchers have documented a definite connection between major life stressors -- i.e., death of a spouse, divorce or separation, loss of a job, death of close family member, major accident/personal injury, moving, marriage -- and the onset of Graves' disease.

Holistic and nutritional practitioners have also suggested that there may be other trigger factors, including:

• Consumption of the artificial sweetener aspartame
• Nutritional or dietary deficiencies
• Bacterial or viral infections

Symptoms of Graves' Disease/Hyperthyroidism

There are numerous symptoms of Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism. To pinpoint your own symptoms of an overactive thyroid, review the following list, or take the online quiz:Could You Be Hyperthyroid?

Goiter -- The most common symptom of Graves' disease is goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid, with symptoms that can include a visibly larger neck, a feeling of fullness in the neck or throat, discomfort with ties or scarves, a feeling like the thyroid is vibrating or buzzing, a choking sensation, pain or tenderness in the neck or hoarseness.

Weight Changes -- Usually patients lose weight without change in diet or exercise, or they experience dramatically increased appetite (especially for carbohydrates) without any weight gain. Some people lose so much weight and stop eating, or eat so little, that they may be misdiagnosed as anorexic. Some people actually stop eating, or eat very little -- and are considered anorexic. In some cases, women -- especially teenagers -- have actually been misdiagnosed as anorexic, because of rapid, dramatic weight loss, when the actual problem was the onset of Graves' disease. A small percentage of patients actually gain weight with hyperthyroidism because they increase their intake to such an extent that the increased metabolism does not compensate.

Pregnancy Problems -- Difficulty in pregnancy, in particular, weight loss during pregnancy, or excessive nausea and/or vomiting can be a symptom of thyroid problems. Rapid weight loss after pregnancy can also be a symptom of hyperthyroidism.

Temperature Problems -- Some people with hyperthyroidism feel warm or hot when others are cold, or feel warm all the time. They may run a low grade fever, sweat more, or feel thirsty.

Heart and Blood Pressure Changes -- Symptoms include racing, fast heartbeat, sensation of a "loud" or pounding heartbeat, skipped beats, palpitations, or abnormal heart rhythms.

Gastrointestinal Problems -- Symptoms include frequent bowel movements, loose bowel movements, diarrhea, more frequent urination, or nausea.

Energy / Muscles / Joints -- Hyperthyroid symptoms include extreme fatigue, muscle and joint fatigue, especially in leg and arm muscles, difficulty climbing stairs, exercise intolerance. A percentage of hyperthyroid patients actually have more energy, and feel like they need little sleep, and feel a need to exercise.

Skin Changes -- Some of the symptoms include unusually smoother, younger-looking or velvety skin (due to rapid cell turnover.) Some people experience worsening acne, bruising, spider veins on the face and neck, blister-like bumps on the forehead and face (called "milaria bumps"), flushing in the face, hives, itching, vitiligo.

Graves' Dermopathy/ Pretibial Myxedema -- This is an unusual symptom seen in some Graves' patients that features waxy, reddish-brown lesions on the shins and lower legs skin (and less often the extremities, face or trunk) that are itchy and inflamed. These lesions heal into rough patches.

Changes to Hair / Nails / Hands -- Excessive hair loss from the head and body is a common symptom. Other signs include thinner and finer hair, nails that easily break. Thyroid acropachy, where fingertips and toes swell and become wider, even clubbed, and onycholysis/Plummer's nails, where the underlying nail bed separates away from the skin, are also symptoms of Graves' and hyperthyroidism.

Eye Problems -- Even in patients who don't have Graves' Ophthalmopathy, there can be eye-related symptoms, including bulging of the eyeballs, dry eyes, achiness or pain behind the eyes, redness in the eyes, puffiness, and a wide-eyed look.

Thinking/Cognition Problems -- Some Graves' and hyperthyroidism patients have difficult concentrating or making decisions, memory problems, and racing thoughts.

Mood Problems -- Most patients with Graves' disease, hyperthyroidism experience some changes to mood and feelings, including depression, mood swings, uncontrollable anger, and irrational anger.

Panic and Anxiety -- Anxiety is a very common hyperthyroidism symptom, including restlessness, nervousness, and even panic attacks. In rare cases, mania, psychosis, or delirium can be hyperthyroidism symptoms.

Reflex/Movement Issues -- Some people with hyperthyroidism have fast reflexes, startle easily, and jumpy, and have tremors. They may be always moving, jiggling, tapping a foot, etc.

Sleep Problems -- Insomnia, or difficulty going back to sleep after waking, are common hyperthyroidism symptoms.

Especially in Men -- Men can experience a low sex drive, fertility problems, and gynecomastia, an enlargement or tenderness in the breasts.

Especially in Women -- In women, hyperthyroidism can cause infertility, miscarriage, changes to sex drive, worsening premenstrual syndrome, erratic or even nonexistent menstrual periods.

Especially in Newborns/Babies -- Newborns who are hyperthyroid are more likely to be premature, and have a low birthweight. They may have a yellowish cast to the skin, a visible goiter or enlarged neck, and prominent eyes. These babies may also have an elevated heart rate and body temperature. In terms of temperament, these babies may be irritable, restless, hyperactive, and appear to be anxious or unusually alert. They may eat but suffer from frequent diarrhea and vomiting, and may fail to gain weight.

Especially in Children -- Children with hyperthyroidism are likely to have a goiter. They may also have increased appetite and/or weight loss, weakness, school problems, hyperactivity, emotional outbursts, and temper tantrums.

Especially in Teenagers -- In teenagers, a dramatic increase in appetite, or unusual weight loss, may be seen. They may have sports performance problems, and delayed puberty.

Especially in the Elderly / Seniors -- Older people may have more frequent falls, tremors, atrial fibrillation, or dementia. Some older people have what's known as "apathetic hyperthyroidism" -- which has symptoms not typically associated with hyperthyroidism, including appearing depressed, lacking in energy, confused, forgetful, and constipated -- without weight loss.

Graves' Ophthalmopathy

Graves' Ophthalmopathy is an inflammatory autoimmune eye disorder that, while separate from Graves' disease that affects the thyroid, is often seen in conjunction with it. Graves' Ophthalmopathy is also known by a variety of other names, including thyroid eye disease (TED), thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), thyroid associated orbitopathy, orbital dystrophy (OD), dsythyroid orbitopathy, thyroid ophthalmopathy, exophthalmos, immune exophthalmos, Grave's orbitopathy, and Graves' eye disease.

For Graves' disease patients who also have Graves ophthalmopathy, in addition to bulging of the eyes, one of the more common eye-related symptoms is "lid lag" -- where the upper eyelid doesn't smoothly follow along when you look down. Other symptoms can include pain or itchiness, blurred vision, reduced color or brightness in vision, double vision, poor night vision, light sensitivity, and "floaters."

Thyroid Storm

A very small percentage of patients with hyperthyroidism develop a life-threatening condition known as thyroid storm. During a thyroid storm, the heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature can become uncontrollably high. Symptoms can include an extremely high fever (up to 106), a heart rate as high as 200 beats per minute, palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, confusion, delirium, psychosis, stupor, fatigue, and other symptoms. Whenever thyroid storm is suspected, the patient must go immediately on an emergency basis to the hospital, as this is a life-threatening condition that can develop and worsen quickly, and requires treatment within hours to avoid fatal complications such as stroke or heart attack.
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The above article was posted by Mary Shomon on About.com - check it out HERE.

Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism

I have been diagnosed with Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism. These are serious conditions if nothing is done. I'm doing something. More to come soon. (P.S. This is the main reason my skin has changed for the worse.)

Click HERE to learn more about Hyperthyroidism. If you know anyone that is suffering with these symptoms, please let them know about Hyperthyroidism and the possibility of Graves' disease.

Thank you!

PLEASE - Help Someone Feel the Way I Do!

***Please read and PLEASE TELL ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT HAS SUFFERED WITH SKIN PROBLEMS!***

I have decided I'd like to tell every single person I meet about something that really changed my life. I may not get to tell every single person but I'm sure as heck going to try!

I have never had the greatest skin and have seen some ups and downs throughout my life. I have experienced quite a few skin care lines in my day and about a year ago I tried several products that I thought would be my final answer; they may have been quite the opposite. My skin broke out worse than I have ever seen, however, at the time I didn't know that I also had the beginning symptoms of Graves' disease. I felt like there was nothing I could do.

That all changed a week ago. MURAD Skin Care changed my life... seriously.

I kid you not, in 5 uses (not 5 days, that's right, 5 USES!) I have seen a DRAMATIC difference in my face! I don't think there are any words (written or spoken) that can express how unbelievable this product is. I am in UTTER DISBELIEF at the effects I have seen. I am using the acne kit and I can't believe what is happening to my face; I have seen scars and pores diminish to almost nothing... again, 5 days!

Please, even if you have the most perfectest, amazinest, incrediblest complexion, don't let your buddy, family member, or neighbor suffer if you know they need an answer like I did. Thanks for your time. Check 'em out and PLEASE TELL SOMEONE ABOUT MURAD!!!!!!

What the Heck is That?

Gardening questions? Ever wonder what kind of flower grows in your garden? I know I have!

GO HERE


GardenStops.com - check out the Plant Finder, it's good stuff.
(FINALLY!!!! I am super excited.)

=) Enjoy =)

Our Plastic Planet - More Mom Goes Green Awesomeness

Originally posted by Doreen from Mom Goes Green, it's pure amazingness for the world. Spread this awesomeness, PLEASE!

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I have been on a “plastics kick” recently. Not with overusing them or anything crazy like that, but just in the way that I’ve been thinking about them lately… a lot.

It’s a love/hate relationship. They’re everywhere and they’re supposedly here to simplify and make products affordable. They’re a part of our lives. We can look in every corner of our homes and see unbelievable amounts of plastic. It’s inevitable.

But consider this…

• Think about some of your favorite childhood toys… and all of the toys and trinkets you’ve ever purchased since childhood…
• Think about every hairbrush, comb and toothbrush you’ve ever used…

• 

• Think about the disposable serveware and utensils you purchased for a party you hosted or used at an event you attended…
• Think about all the water bottles and beverages you bought while you ran errands…
• Think about the thousands of plastic bags you’ve accepted…
• Think about the buckets, containers, wastebaskets, pitchers, shower curtain liners and scrub brushes that you’ve throw away because they looked overused…
• Think about the packaging of anything you have ever purchased…
• Think about the electronics and appliances you’ve purchased and replaced for an upgrade…

Now think about this…

They STILL EXIST ON THE PLANET. Every single piece of plastic ever manufactured is still here. It has never gone away.

The idea of this is overwhelming. I am clearly not without fault, because I’ve certainly used my fair share right along with you, but it is just astonishing to know that every plastic we have ever touched is STILL HERE… and they are polluting, poisoning and contaminating every landfill where they eventually come to rest.

It is simply inevitable that we will always use plastics, but every time I make a purchase I’m going to remember that statement and hopefully make better choices.

I Suck

I hate that I haven't been able to organize my day sufficiently so that I can enjoy some of my personal passions. I have tried to figure out a system for school and in the meantime, I have 20 blog drafts that are waiting to be finished and edited.

I suck, I'm just sayin'.

And because of my suckiness, I may cheat and take a few shortcuts with some of my favorite blog posts. I have seen so many awesome posts from some of my favorite blogs and just haven't had the time (or can't seem to manage it) to write about them, so in the meantime, I am going to post them as is with a link to the awesome writer's blog. Please check them out and put them on your blog roll.

To be continued...

Environmental Issues - Our Kids' Reality

Please read the post shown below. It was posted today by Doreen from her blog, Mom Goes Green. I had to share because it's such a touching post- sweet and eye-opening.

Save the website because it's awesome. Then, read all the posts on the blog because you're awesome. Then, tell everyone you know because you want to help the world be awesome.

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Environmental Issues - Our Kids' Reality

By: Dorren from MomGoesGreen(dot)com

The other night while I was looking at my Twitter account, our daughter snuggled up next to me on the couch. Within 10 seconds she said “Aww, Mommy. Thank you!”

I couldn’t imagine what prompted that little show of love, but I sure did enjoy it! I said “you’re welcome, but thank you for what, honey?” She said “That, Mommy!” and pointed to the quote on my Twitter page that read: “I’m just trying to do my part to help make the world a better place for my children.” At that moment, I realized that what I’m doing (and what we’re ALL doing) really does make a difference.

Ironically, this comment came on the heels of reading a recent study on kids’ fears about the environment. While they should be worrying more about playing with their friends, homework, watching their favorite TV shows or earning a sweet treat after dinner, these fears about our world are very real to them.

This study, commissioned by Habitat Heroes, uncovered some interesting facts, including:

• 1 in 3 children (ages 6-11) fear that the planet won’t exist when they grown up
• More than half (56%) believe the Earth will not be as good a place to live
• Girls worry more than boys, but overall, kids in metro areas worry more than those in rural settings
• 28% say they fear the extinction of animals more than anything else
• Nearly 25% worry about enough safe drinking water

The results don’t surprise me, because this is a part of their reality, and it’s also a reminder that they are “listening” and know that concerns truly exist in today’s world. Had you asked any of us these questions when we were 8, I don’t imagine the worry would have been as great (if there at all).

(Habitat Heroes has also developed a great site for kids to learn, play and find ideas to help the environment. If they are afraid, maybe this will help them to learn and discover ways to help.)

But my favorite result was this: An amazing 95% of the children believe that their parents are trying to save the environment by recycling, using reusable batteries and conserving electricity and water.

Whether that is true or not, I believe the message is this… they believe in us, so we have to do our best not to let them down.

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Good stuff. Again, check out Mom Goes Green and spread the word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to Bill - Water Disagreement

Recently, a reader emailed me about one of my posts. Reader Bill was replying to my post called "Think We Can't Make a Difference?" with the video about our carbon footprint. I posted the video because I thought the message was good and that everyone could benefit from some piece of information presented.

Bill's email was very pleasant but he had one major disagreement; the video talks about tap water and that most is perfectly fine for us. In my opinion, the video was awesome all the way through and the video doesn't say that all tap water is perfectly fine, it says most. The video is more than likely speaking for tap water found in the U.S. and it doesn't say anything untrue- most tap water in the U.S. is perfectly fine for you. Who really knows what is in the water. It could be chemicals, it could be poisons; it could be a million things. If we listened to what everyone said was bad about every single thing, we wouldn't have anything to drink, eat, or use.

An article from The New York Times (shown below) sums it up, in my opinion. I have to respectfully disagree with you Bill. I very much appreciate your readership, your awesome input, and the great information your shared. Keep 'em coming! =)
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Bad to the Last Drop

By TOM STANDAGE

Published: August 1, 2005

London

IT'S summertime, and odds are that at some point during your day you'll reach for a nice cold bottle of water. But before you do, you might want to consider the results of an experiment I conducted with some friends one summer evening last year. On the table were 10 bottles of water, several rows of glasses and some paper for recording our impressions. We were to evaluate samples from each bottle for appearance, odor, flavor, mouth, feel and aftertaste - and our aim was to identify the interloper among the famous names. One of our bottles had been filled from the tap. Would we spot it?

We worked our way through the samples, writing scores for each one. None of us could detect any odor, even when swilling water around in large wine glasses, but other differences between the waters were instantly apparent. Between sips, we cleansed our palates with wine. (It seemed only fair, since water serves the same function at a wine tasting.)

The variation between waters was wide, yet the water from the tap did not stand out: only one of us correctly identified it. This simple experiment seemed to confirm that most people cannot tell the difference between tap water and bottled water. Yet they buy it anyway - and in enormous quantities.

In 2004, Americans, on average, drank 24 gallons of bottled water, making it second only to carbonated soft drinks in popularity. Furthermore, consumption of bottled water is growing more quickly than that of soft drinks and has more than doubled in the past decade. This year, Americans will spend around $9.8 billion on bottled water, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.

Ounce for ounce, it costs more than gasoline, even at today's high gasoline prices; depending on the brand, it costs 250 to 10,000 times more than tap water. Globally, bottled water is now a $46 billion industry. Why has it become so popular?

It cannot be the taste, since most people cannot tell the difference in a blind tasting. Much bottled water is, in any case, derived from municipal water supplies, though it is sometimes filtered, or has additional minerals added to it.

Nor is there any health or nutritional benefit to drinking bottled water over tap water. In one study, published in The Archives of Family Medicine, researchers compared bottled water with tap water from Cleveland, and found that nearly a quarter of the samples of bottled water had significantly higher levels of bacteria. The scientists concluded that "use of bottled water on the assumption of purity can be misguided." Another study carried out at the University of Geneva found that bottled water was no better from a nutritional point of view than ordinary tap water.

Admittedly, both kinds of water suffer from occasional contamination problems, but tap water is more stringently monitored and tightly regulated than bottled water. New York City tap water, for example, was tested 430,600 times during 2004 alone.

What of the idea that drinking bottled water allows you to avoid the chemicals that are sometimes added to tap water? Alas, some bottled waters contain the same chemicals anyway - and they are, in any case, unavoidable.

Researchers at the University of Texas found that showers and dishwashers liberate trace amounts of chemicals from municipal water supplies into the air. Squirting hot water through a nozzle, to produce a fine spray, increases the surface area of water in contact with the air, liberating dissolved substances in a process known as "stripping." So if you want to avoid those chemicals for some reason, drinking bottled water is not enough. You will also have to wear a gas mask in the shower, and when unloading the dishwasher.

Bottled water is undeniably more fashionable and portable than tap water. The practice of carrying a small bottle, pioneered by supermodels, has become commonplace. But despite its association with purity and cleanliness, bottled water is bad for the environment. It is shipped at vast expense from one part of the world to another, is then kept refrigerated before sale, and causes huge numbers of plastic bottles to go into landfills.

Of course, tap water is not so abundant in the developing world. And that is ultimately why I find the illogical enthusiasm for bottled water not simply peculiar, but distasteful. For those of us in the developed world, safe water is now so abundant that we can afford to shun the tap water under our noses, and drink bottled water instead: our choice of water has become a lifestyle option. For many people in the developing world, however, access to water remains a matter of life or death.

More than 2.6 billion people, or more than 40 percent of the world's population, lack basic sanitation, and more than one billion people lack reliable access to safe drinking water. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of all illness in the world is due to water-borne diseases, and that at any given time, around half of the people in the developing world are suffering from diseases associated with inadequate water or sanitation, which kill around five million people a year.

Widespread illness also makes countries less productive, more dependent on outside aid, and less able to lift themselves out of poverty. One of the main reasons girls do not go to school in many parts of the developing world is that they have to spend so much time fetching water from distant wells.

Clean water could be provided to everyone on earth for an outlay of $1.7 billion a year beyond current spending on water projects, according to the International Water Management Institute. Improving sanitation, which is just as important, would cost a further $9.3 billion per year. This is less than a quarter of global annual spending on bottled water.

I have no objections to people drinking bottled water in the developing world; it is often the only safe supply. But it would surely be better if they had access to safe tap water instead. The logical response, for those of us in the developed world, is to stop spending money on bottled water and to give the money to water charities.

If you don't believe me about the taste, then set up a tasting, and see if you really can tell the difference. A water tasting is fun, and you may be surprised by the results. There is no danger of a hangover. But you may well conclude, as I have, that bottled water has an unacceptably bitter taste.

Tom Standage, author of "A History of the World in Six Glasses," is the technology editor of The Economist

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The above article can be found here. Pretty interesting, aye?