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Tell Me More, November 10, 2008 · Legendary South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba died this weekend after collapsing on stage at a concert in Italy. Makeba was 76. She was the first African woman to win a Grammy and was affectionately known around the world as "Mama Africa." Host Michel Martin offers a reflection.
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A child holds an American flag and a fake bank bill bearing a portrait of U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Ill. Sen. Barack Obama during an Obama rally at the Crown Center Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, October 19, 2008. AFP/Getty Images
Tell Me More, October 21, 2008 · This year's historic presidential campaign has given parents repeated opportunities to talk to kids about race. American families are talking about the candidates, and the role that race is playing in the campaign. But what are they telling the kids, especially over the past few weeks as the campaign has gotten more intense? And is it a new and tricky topic for most parents?
Some parents may choose to shield their children from these things. But others may find that impossible or prefer to use this as an opportunity to engage their children and challenge them to think about how they deal with these attitudes in their own lives.
Mocha Moms Jolene Ivey, Leslie Morgan Steiner, Renee Amoore and Joan Countryman talk about when to have those discussions, and why it is important to do so.
Remember, with Tell Me More the conversation never ends. We'd like to know: Have you found yourself talking with your children about race, ethnicity or gender or religion in connection with the presidential campaign? What are you saying? And what are they saying?
To tell us more and to compare notes with other listeners, go to www.npr.org/tellmemore. You can leave comments there or on our blog (found in the same location), or you can call our comment line at 202-842-3522.
Tell Me More, October 7, 2008 · The ongoing financial crisis is posing some opportunities for parents to teach kids about smart money management.
Mocha Moms Jolene Ivey, Cheli English-Figaro and Asra Nomani welcome money coach Alvin Hall, author of Show Me the Money, to discuss teaching youngsters how to become financially sound.
Linked from NPR.org
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95465839
Yesterday I was greeted with this questionable, newsy article on the Yahoo! front page: Obama victory opens door to new black identity, by Jesse Washington, AP via Yahoo! News.
Before Tuesday, black identity and community were largely rooted in the shared experience of the struggle — real or perceived — [Apparently my struggle is now perceived] against a hostile white majority. Even as late as Election Day, many blacks still harbored deep doubts about whether whites would vote for Obama.
Obama's overwhelming triumph cast America in a different light. There was no sign of the "Bradley Effect," when whites mislead pollsters about their intent to vote for black candidates. Nationwide, Obama collected 44 percent of the white vote, more than John Kerry, Al Gore or even Bill Clinton, exit polls show . . .
. . . Certainly racism did not disappear after Obama's white votes were counted. No one is claiming that black culture and pride and community are no longer valuable. Many also dismiss the idea of a "post-racial" America as long as blacks and other minorities are still disproportionately afflicted by disparities in income, education, health, incarceration and single parenthood.
But white groups that once faced discrimination, such as the Italians, Jews and Irish, have moved from the margins to the mainstream. America debated whether John F. Kennedy could become the first Catholic president; now that's a historical footnote.
If I ever again have to hear someone mention groups of white people who had been discriminated against in the past, and then equate them with black people who continue to be discriminated against in the present, it will be too soon. There are historical differences amongst various oppressed ethnic groups, and it is unwise to ignore those differences. For instance, the ancestors of Italian Americans, Jewish Americans, Irish Americans and Catholic Americans (some of whom are all the same people) came to the United States relatively voluntarily. Whereas the ancestors of many (though not all) black Americans did not come to the United States voluntarily; they just happened to survive the Middle Passage.
This seemingly endless election and the final results have reminded me of something Wanda Sykes said in her Comedy Central Presents special. She repeated in her book, Yeah, I Said It:
I'm not politically correct. I still say black. I say it because with African American, there's no bonus. It doesn't make your life any easier. You don't see black people standing around, saying, "Oh yeah, African American. Man, I'll tell ya, this beats the hell outta being black. We should've made the switch years ago. Oh, this is nice."
You don't see any of us going into Bank of America, "Excuse me, I'm here to pick up my loan."
"Uh, Ms. Sykes, you were rejected for that loan last week."
"Oh, that was last week. I was black then. See, I'm African American now. I'll just go in the vault and take what I need. I'll sign on my way out."
African American ain't helping nobody. You think Rodney King's black ass is sitting somewhere, saying, "Damn, if I just would have waited two years before I acted a fool, they wouldn't have been beating my black ass. I would have been African American." . . .
If 10,000 Biters go natural next time they paint their bedroom, we'll keep about 32,500 gallons of nasty chems out of circulation.
Are You Unknowingly Making Your Child Sick? Moms need to know what invisible toxins are in the everyday products they provide to their children.
A disturbing story came to light this week, from CNN's Planet In Peril series. Our children are being exposed to such high levels of industrial chemicals, that studies are showing many of them to have up to seven times greater levels in their blood than their parents. Think about that for a minute. If their levels are this high now...How high do you think they will be by the time they are adults?
With so many cancers and chronic illnesses being blamed on environmental causes...How sick do you think these children might be by the time they are parents? How many might be unable to be parents? We are talking about chemicals that are known carcinogens, and known to be in products we and our children are using every day. It's a much larger problem than I had ever realized...especially for our children.
Of course, we can not be sure how these exposures will affect our children's future health, only time will tell. But, if these studies are any indication, the future is very troubling.
This is from a CNN article on these recent studies...
"We are in an epidemic of environmentally mediated disease among American children today," he said. "Rates of asthma, childhood cancers, birth defects and developmental disorders have exponentially increased, and it can't be explained by changes in the human genome. So what has changed? All the chemicals we're being exposed to."
See a three minute video from CNN here.
When I think about all of the soft teething toys that I gave to my children to play with (and chew on) over the years, not even thinking to question what chemicals they might be absorbing...I wonder what harm these toys may have caused them, or will cause them in the future? To think that we (parents), are actually unknowingly poisoning our own children, because manufacturers are being aloud to use toxic chemicals in toys, bottles, soaps, and more...it just seems wrong. How can this be aloud to happen? How long will it be allowed to happen? How many children will be harmed before something will be done?
This post "Sipping Bisphenol-A", is from The Cleaner Plate Club...
A while ago I wrote about toxic baby bottles — specifically, baby bottles that leach bisphenol A, a hormone disruptor that is associated with cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, among other problems. Although the bisphenol A scare is relevant to anyone consuming food and drink from plastic, it was the bottles that most troubled me. Before that post, I’d been regularly using baby bottles that leach the stuff, according to the Guide to Safer Plastics. But after that post? I went ahead and ordered glass baby bottles from here. (In case they’re sold out, as they’re selling out everywhere, you can also order them here. And here. And here.
Even more sad is...These chemicals (see some of them here) are in so many products, that they are almost impossible to avoid. And, there is no requirement for any chemicals to be proven safe before they are used in the products we use every day.
From Cynthia's Interests...
Phthalates are chemical substances that make PVC plastic soft and flexible. They are widely used in products such as food wrappings, vinyl shower curtains, and cosmetics. They are also used in soft plastic toys and other baby products, such as teething rings and rattles. Phthalates can leach out of plastic over time.
Earlier this month I did a post on "The Environmental Risks of Breast Cancer", which was the outcome of a telephone conference I participated in through Pure Prevention. Although the focus was on breast cancer, this post also provides a lot of information and links on these industrial chemicals...
An estimated 100,000 synthetic chemicals have been registered for use in the United States in the last 40 years, but fewer than 10 percent of them have been fully tested for their effects on our health. Because many of these chemicals accumulate in body fat and remain in breast tissue for decades, every woman, man and child now carries synthetic chemicals in their bodies—including some that have been found to cause mammary tumors.
My earlier post also touches on the toxic affects of chemicals in household cleaners, and how to make your own non-toxic cleaners at home. At Crazy Aunt Purl, there is a post on her experiences with cleaning non-toxic(ish)...
Mostly I wanted to know if I could get the same level of cleaning out of natural or "green" cleaners as I do with my heavy duty chemical cleansers. Then I started to think back to my great-grandma and her little farmhouse out in Blanco, Texas. She used white vinegar on windows and plain soapy water on everything else. Her house smelled like lemon and fresh air, it was spic 'n span with never a trace of dust anywhere. I don't remember a single cleaning product in her house, aside from soap flakes and vinegar and no one ever got sick from not having enough antibacterial cleaning chemicals.
So...How worried are you about the affects of these industrial chemicals on our children? Have you already noticed medical problems in your child, that may be caused by some of these chemicals? Do you wish the government would get involved and ban some of these toxic chemicals from products? I'm very interested in what other moms think about this hidden danger to our children.
Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at CatherineBlogs.com and The Political Voices of Women
The lines have been drawn in the sand and consumer brands and their pr teams better sit up and take notice. For years affluent African-American moms have been crying foul regarding campaigns that show them as loud, brash, cold, and bossy. Until now their grumbles have been relatively contained to the beauty salons, churches, and at Sunday family dinners.
Black moms have remained vexed and embarrassed by the portrayal of them as one of two models; either ebonic-speaking, booty shakin’, sex-pots, or, ignorant, obese, and domineering. Black moms have been troubled by this depiction in mainstream media but have remained relatively silent in communicating those frustrations publicly- until now.
This week the world held its breath as Americans elected Senator Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. In President-Elect Barack Obama’s acceptance speech he gave a short but moving tribute to his African-American wife, partner, biggest supporter, and mother of his children, Mrs. Michelle Obama. Black women across the country wept at such a public expression of love and respect for a woman whose physical image reflects their own. Some have never witnessed such an outpouring of affection over an entire lifetime.
Finally the world was seeing an educated, nurturing, accomplished mother who looks, talks, and shares the same goals, values, and aspirations as them. For the first time, on the world stage was a Black woman that seemed so familiar; someone who could fit in easily at a book club or at the local Mocha Mom or Jack and Jill group. The minute Michelle Obama came on the national scene the passive stance of Black mom consumers changed. Black moms are now chanting “No more!”, and they are putting their purses where their mouths are. This is indeed the Michelle Obama Effect.
So what is the Michelle Obama Effect and what does it mean to practitioners? It means change. It means African-American moms taking control of their image and rejecting brands that reduce them to stereotypes and caricatures. And most importantly, it means that practitioners are going to have to develop pr and marketing programs that represent African-American moms in very real and relevant ways. Otherwise practitioners will watch these traditionally brand loyal moms exercise the power of their purses by switching to competing brands.
By 2011 African-American families are expected to spend an estimated 1 trillion dollars a year. Black moms make 87% of the purchasing decisions for products for their homes. Unless brands are willing to forsake their stake in this trillion dollar market, practitioners should treat the Michelle Obama Effect as a genuine and extremely significant movement.
Well, just roll down your windows around town. Some additional tips for saving fuel as prices keep climbing:
Last night, President-Elect Barack Obama delivered the final speech of a presidential campaign that promised change in Washington:
Now the work begins to deliver on this promise by planning the agenda and priorities for the Obama Administration. As the President-Elect reminded the country:
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Change.gov provides resources to better understand the transition process and the decisions being made as part of it. It also offers an opportunity to be heard about the challenges our country faces and your ideas for tackling them. The Obama Administration will reflect an essential lesson from the success of the Obama campaign: that people united around a common purpose can achieve great things. President-Elect Obama reminded the country of our limitless potential when he claimed this victory:
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
Published October 26, 2008 @ 08:13PM PST
What do real-estate agents, lawyers, business owners, Hollywood writers, and pre-med students have in common? Sadly, it is that they share the distinction of being the emerging face of homelessness in America.
The Burbank Temporary Aid Center in Burbank, California has seen a 66 increase in requests for assistance in the past year, According to the Contra Costa Times. About half of these requests come from middle-class people who, for the first time ever, are becoming homeless. Shelters across the country are reporting similar trends.
Colin is one of the unlucky individuals in LA who has fallen on hard times:
As a middle-class father and business owner, he had achieved the American dream. But that all came crashing down recently when his coffee-bean importing business went under and the home he was renting in El Segundo went into foreclosure.
With nowhere else to turn, the Westmont College graduate sought shelter for his family at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles.
"It definitely gives you a whole new take on life and how quickly things can unravel," said Colin, 39, who requested his last name not be published. "My experience is far more widespread than I think people would like to admit. And we may not have seen the worst of it yet."
Unfortunately, he's probably right. And his story is becoming more and more common.
[Picture: Colin went from being a middle-class business owner to a resident of the Union Rescue Mission on LA's skid row, courtesy of the Contra Costa Times.]
Source: www.change.org
The New York Times featured an article this week, about how our poor economy, is affecting many patient's ability to buy prescription medications. This isn't a new phenomena, but it is happening on a much larger scale. I've done this myself on more than one occasion. Not only are we putting our personal health at risk when we do thiis, but we also risk profound implications to the health care system.
Although other forces are also in play, like safety concerns over some previously popular drugs and the transition of some prescription medications to over-the-counter sales, many doctors and other experts say consumer belt-tightening is a big factor in the prescription downturn.
The trend, if it continues, could have potentially profound implications.
If enough people try to save money by forgoing drugs, controllable conditions could escalate into major medical problems. That could eventually raise the nation’s total health care bill and lower the nation’s standard of living.
From Angie Drakulich at Pharm Tech Talk...
I have another radio story to share with you....driving to work the other day, I heard a report that 11% of US consumers have cut back on the number of prescription drugs they take or on the dosage of those medications in order to make the prescriptions last longer.
In addition, 22% have reduced the number of times they go to the doctor. The statistics come from a national survey conducted over the summer of 686 consumers by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Americans are essentially putting their health at risk in order to save money, according to the NAIC's press release on the survey.
From Judith Graham...
Getting the medical care you need isn't easy. Resources can be hard to find. Weighing the costs and benefits of proposed interventions can be difficult. Choosing a doctor or a hospital, negotiating with your insurer, staying on top of treatment trends, getting the best care possible -- all these can be nerve-wracking. This blog will bring you useful information, connect you with important resources and highlight the stories of other people like you.
I See the Failure of the Health Care System every day...
I also see patients like those highlighted in this week’s New York Times health section—people deciding not to take some or all of their medications because of the cost. Sure, some of those people will do OK. There are well-documented problems with polypharmacy (when too many medications actually create health problems), particularly in older adults. And not every person at risk for a disease (heart disease and stroke, for instance) will actually get it without being treated.
But many who skimp on their meds to save money will pay the price later, when uncontrolled high blood pressure leads to a stroke, or undertreated diabetes leads to vision loss or heart disease.
From Hilary Lewis from the Business Sheets...
With the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs, it's sort of not surprising that consumers are rationing their doctors' orders. But it is still disconcerting that people are cutting back on prescription medicine. Perhaps the recession will finally lead to a drop in prescription drug prices. Here's hoping.
From Stephanie Miles - When Money Is Tight...
When faced with skyrocketing premiums, deductibles, and prescription drug costs, more people are choosing to skip doctors visits and forego their prescription drugs, according to the article, which found that:
- 22 percent of people surveyed said that they were going to the doctor less often because of money woes, while in a different survey, 11 percent said they were cutting back on filling their prescriptions.
- The number of total prescriptions filled fell 0.5 percent in the first quarter and 1.97 percent in the second, compared with the same periods in 2007 -- the first negative quarters in at least a decade.
- Drugstores like Walgreens are reporting slower sales of prescription drugs.
- Health services company LabCorp. says that blood tests and lab work are down 8 percent in the second quarter of 2008, compared with the 1 percent quarterly growth it usually sees.
Also See:
The Queen B - What I'll Do For Medications
Have you considered skipping medications because of the cost? Have you considered the implications of that decision on your personal health?
Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Capessa Health & Fitness
If you are interested in WORKING FROM HOME, AND MAKING $500 to $5000 A MONTH IN EXTRA MONEY, while helping to make an impact on people's lives through health and wellness... please go to my website for more information.http://www.myearnpro.com/themoneymom
Or call my toll free number at 1-800-976-9212.
"And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor and supplication."
Zechariah 12:10
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