Asbestos is a mineral with long, fibrous crystals. It is able to withstand heat, but it is also very toxic. Asbestos was first used widely in the late 1800s because of its resistance to heat. It was often woven into fabric or mats, or mixed with cement and used in buildings due to its flame-retardant and insulating properties.

There are six varieties of asbestos, but the most commonly used is chrysotile which is found in serpentine rock. Even though some countries have banned its use, almost 2.3 million tons are stilled mined yearly by countries such as Russia and China.

Asbestos was used in ship building during World War II. During the 1970s, it was found that many of those employed at the shipyards became ill with mesothelioma, a type of cancer where malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Most often, in asbestos exposure, the cancer is found in the lungs. Unfortunately, smoking greatly increases the risk of this type of cancer when the person is also exposed to asbestos. Workers in the shipyard were very likely to be smokers.

Over 100,000 people have died from asbestos related mesothelioma. Today, Mesothelioma lawyers are specialists in helping those exposed to asbestos receive some sort of monetary settlement for their suffering. These lawyers have also help exposed the companies that knew the dangers of asbestos, yet refused to protect their employees.

In 1989, the United States Environmental Protection agency issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule which required schools and business to remove asbestos from ceilings and walls. Asbestos is still allowed in certain products including disc brake pads, drum brake linings, vinyl-asbestos floor tile and roof coatings.

I happened to catch the movie Stand By Me (1986) on television the other day. I was glad to see that they had modified the puking scene. If you haven’t seen this movie, I would suggest taken an appetite suppressant before viewing or you may be running to the bathroom and spilling your guts as well.

The story is about four friends, Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern, and their adventure as they decide to look for the missing body of a local teenager. Each boy has his own issues that are revealed on their journey.

Gordie was played by Wil Wheaton who later went on to Star Trek: Next Generation fame. Chris was played by the late River Phoenix. What a shame that his acting career was cut short by his own foolish actions by using drugs. Teddy was played by Corey Feldman, whose career was hot in the 1980s, but faded in the 90s. Vern, the fat kid, was played by Jerry O’Connell whose career has been very consistent. He grew up, lost weight and became a sought after actor.

In my humble opinion, the 1970s produced some of the lamest movies of all time. However, there were a few great ones. Here is a list of some of the greatest movies in the 1970s. I have starred the ones I really liked. There are a few on the list which I absolutely hated (Cabaret and Rocky), but I have tried to judge them with 1970s eyes since film making has drastically improved over the years.

*1. The Godfather – (1972, Francis Ford Coppola) (Marlon Brando, Al Pacino)
*2. The Godfather part II – (1974, Francis Ford Coppola) (Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro)
*3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – (1975, Milos Forman) (Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher)
*4. Apocalypse Now – (1979, Francis Ford Coppola) (Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall)
5. Chinatown – (1974, Roman Polanski) (Jack Nicholson, John Huston)
6. A Clockwork Orange – (1971, Stanley Kubrick) (Malcolm McDowell, Patrick MaGee)
*7. Star Wars – (1977, George Lucas) (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford)
*8. Jaws – (1975, Steven Spielberg) (Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss)
*9. Taxi Driver – (1976, Martin Scorsese) (Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster)
*10. The Deer Hunter – (1978, Michael Cimino) (Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken)
11. Annie Hall – (1977, Woody Allen) (Woody Allen, Diane Keaton)
12. Network – (1976, Sydney Lumet) (Peter Finch, William Holden)
13. Rocky – (1976, John G. Avildsen) (Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers)
14. Patton – (1970, Franklin J. Schaffner) (George C. Scott, Karl Malden)
*15. Close Encounters of the Third Kind – (1977, Steven Spielberg) (Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr)
16. M*A*S*H – (1970, Robert Altman) (Elliot Gould, Donald Sutherland)
17. The Exorcist – (1973, William Friedkin) (Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair)
*18. American Graffiti – (1973, George Lucas) (Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss)
*19. The French Connection – (1971, William Friedkin) (Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider)
20. Mean Streets – (1973, Martin Scorsese) (Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro)
21. Aguirre, the Wrath of God – (1972, Werner Herzog) (Klaus Kinski) (Cecilia Rivera)
22. Blazing Saddles – (1974, Mel Brooks) (Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little)
23. Last Tango in Paris – (1972, Bernardo Bertolucci) (Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider)
*24. Monty Python and the Holy Grail – (1974, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones) (G. Chapman, Eric Idle)
25. The Rocky Horror Picture Show – (1975, Jim Sharmon) (Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon)
*26. Serpico – (1973, Sydney Lumet) (Al Pacino, Tony Roberts)
*27. Young Frankenstein – (1974, Mel Brooks) (Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle)
28. Deliverance – (1972, John Boorman) (Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight)
29. Barry Lyndon – (1975, Stanley Kubrick) (Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson)
*30. National Lampoon’s Animal House – (1978, John Landis) (John Belushi, Tim Matheson)
*31. Alien – (1979, Ridley Scott) (Tom Skerritt, Sigouney Weaver)
*32. The Sting – (1973, George Roy Hill) (Robert Redford, Paul Newman)
33. Dog Day Afternoon – (1975, Sydney Lumet) (Al Pacino, John Cazale)
34. Five Easy Pieces – (1970, Bob Rafelson) (Jack Nicholson, Karen Black)
35. The Conversation – (1974, Francis Ford Coppola) (Gene Hackman, John Cazale)
36. Halloween – (1978, John Carpenter) (Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis)
37. The Last Picture Show – (1971, Peter Bogdanovich) (Timothy Buttons, Jeff Bridges)
38. Nashville – (1975, Robert Altman) (Henry Gibson, Barbara Baxley)
39. Saturday Night Fever – (1977, John Badham) (John Travolta, Karen Gorney)
40. McCabe and Mrs. Miller – (1971, Robert Altman) (Warren Beatty, Julie Christie)
41. All the President’s Men – (1976, Alan J. Pakula) (Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford)
42. Dirty Harry – (1971, Don Siegel) (Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino)
*43. Grease – (1978, Randal Kleiser) (John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John)
44. Manhattan – (1979, Woody Allen) (Woody Allen, Diane Keaton)
45. Scenes from a Marriage – (1973, Ingmar Bergman) (Liv Ullman, Bibi Andersson)
46. Badlands – (1973, Terrence Malick) (Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek)
47. Coming Home – (1978, Hal Ashby) (Jon Voight, Jane Fonda)
48. Cries and Whispers – (1972, Ingmar Bergman) (Harriet Andersson, Kari Sylwan)
49. Carrie – (1976, Brian De Palma) (Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie)
50. The Conformist – (1970, Bernardo Bertolucci) (Jean-Louis Trintignant, Dominique Sandra)
51. Day for Night – (1973, Francois Truffaut) (Jacqueline Bisset, Valentine Cortese)
*52. Fiddler on the Roof – (1971, Norman Jewison) (Topol, Norma Crane)
53. Kramer vs. Kramer – (1979, Robert Benton) (Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep)
*54. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory – (1971, Mel Stuart) (Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson)
*55. Being There – (1979, Hal Ashby) (Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine)
56. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – (1974, Tobe Hooper) (Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger)
57. Monty Python’s Life of Brian – (1979, Terry Jones) (Graham Chapman, Eric Idle)
58. All That Jazz – (1979, Bob Fosse) (Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange)
59. Days of Heaven – (1978, Terrence Malick) (Richard Gere, Brooke Adams)
60. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore – (1974, Martin Scorsese) (Ellen Burstyn, K. Kristofferson)
61. Bound for Glory – (1976, Hal Ashby) (David Carradine, Ronny Cox)
*62. Bananas – (1971, Woody Allen) (Woody Allen, Louise Lasser)
63. Amarcord – (1973, Federico Fellini) (Bruno Zanin, Pupella Maggio)
64. The Hospital – (1971, Arthur Hiller) (George C. Scott, Diana Rigg)
*65. Sleeper – (1973, Woody Allen) (Woody Allen, Diane Keaton)
66. The Last Wave – (1977, Peter Weir) (Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett)
67. Shampoo – (1975, Hal Ashby) (Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn)
68. A Woman Under the Influence – (1974, John Cassavetes) (Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk)
69. The Last Detail – (1973, Hal Ashby) (Jack Nicholson, Otis Young)
70. Seven Beauties – (1976, Lina Wertmuller) (Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey)
71. Macbeth – (1971, Roman Polanski) (Jon Finch, Martin Shaw)
72. Marathon Man – (1976, John Schlesinger) (Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier)
73. The Man Who Fell to Earth – (1976, Nicolas Roeg) (David Bowie, Rip Torn)
74. The Man Who Would Be King – (1975, John Huston) (Sean Connery, Michael Caine)
75. The Sunshine Boys – (1975, Herbert Ross) (Walter Mathou, George Burns)
76. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie – (1972, L. Bunuel) (Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig)
77. Cabaret – (1972, Bob Fosse) (Liza Minnelli, Michael York)
78. Don’t Look Now – (1973, Nicolas Roeg) (Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland)
79. A Touch of Class – (1973, Melvin Frank) (George Segal, Glenda Jackson)
80. The Towering Inferno – (1974, Irwin Allen) (Steve McQueen, Paul Newman)
*81. Breaking Away – (1979, Peter Yates) (Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid)
82. The Garden of Finzi Continis – (1970, Vittorio De Sica) (Dominique Sandra, Lino Capolicchio)
83. Klute – (1971, Alan J. Pakula) (Donald Sutherland, Jane Fonda)
84. Sunday, Bloody Sunday – (1971, John Schlesinger) (Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch)
85. The Candidate – (1972, Michael Ritchie) (Robert Redford, Peter Boyle)
86. The Ruling Class – (1972, Peter Medak) (Peter O’Toole, Alastair Slim)
87. The Way We Were – (1973, Sydney Pollack) (Robert Redford, Barbara Streisand)
*88. Sounder – (1972, Martin Ritt) (Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield)
89. Julia – (1977, Fred Zinnemann) (Jane Fonda, Jason Robards)
*90. The Poseidon Adventure – (1972, Ronald Neame) (Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman)
*91. The Goodbye Girl – (1977, Herbert Ross) (Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason)
92. Save the Tiger – (1973, John G. Avildsen) (Jack Lemmon, Laurie Heineman)
93. Lenny – (1974, Bob Fosse) (Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine)
*94. Heaven Can Wait – (1978, Warren Beatty) (Warren Beatty, Julie Christie)
95. Norma Rae – (1979, Martin Ritt) (Sally Field, Beau Bridges)
*96. Superman – (1978, Richard Donner) (Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman)
97. Midnight Express – (1978, Alan Parker) (Brad Davis, Randy Quaid)
98. Enter the Dragon – (1973, Robert Clouse) (Bruce Lee, John Saxon)
*99. A Bridge Too Far – (1977, Richard Attenborough) (James Caan, Michael Caine)
100. Tommy – (1975, Ken Russell) (Oliver Reed, Roger Daltrey)