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31 Dec

The Apprentice and The Bloody Nose!

Last night I’m watching The Apprentice – totally into it, second to last episode, it’s between Sean and Lee. And you know Sean is going to win because I have no clue how Lee got in the top two except by default. He’s a nice kid, but he’s a kid. The show is hilarious because all season we’ve seen these relationships develop and how that it’s down to the wire all the contestants are suddently best buddies trying to get on the last couple of teams. So, Lee picks Lenny, his good buddy of course, and Roxanne, and some guy named Pepe who got fired in episode 2. Sean picks Tammy, the love of his life – if these two don’t get married I’ll be surprised, they’re totally cute together – and Andrea, who proved herself when she hosted the car dealer retreat early on and impressed Sean, and Tarek, the Orlando Bloom look-alike. The teams seem a little unequal to me, but good luck to Lee anyway. Lee decides to run the celebrity hockey game in New York, and Sean gets to run the Bare Naked Ladies concert in Las Vegas. All the typical confusion comes through – but this is what I felt compelled about: Andrea freaks out because she gets a bloody nose! Okay, America – it’s time to learn some basic Ayurveda. Las Vegas is a very dry climate. Andrea and the team took a 5 hour flight from NY, and an airline is a very dry environment. They’re in a hotel, with air conditioning, which creates a cold and dry atmosphere. Andrea is a Vata – tall, skinny, you can see it a mile away. Vatas are very sensitive to dry air. Naturally, after subjecting her nose to all that dryness, it is bound to bleed. She was complaining that she was coughing up blood. What was actually happening is that her nose was bleeding down her throat and that’s the blood she was coughing up. Then she noticed it was coming out of her nose, too. Of course the show ends on this dramatic note – Andrea crying as she leaves the hotel, worried that something is terribly wrong with her. Sean and Tammy wringing their hands that something is terribly wrong with their friend Orlando, I mean, Tarek, the practical one, saying this is a bad time to be down a man with all this stuff they have to do. I can just see this turning into an epidemic – all the noses start bleeding and Andrea fears she’s contagious! This could have been such a simple fix! If I were there I would have calmed everyone down and given them some super simple solutions. To avoid all this drama, use a saline nasal spray on the plane. And use a mister on your skin to help keep you hydrated. At the hotel, fill up the bathtub in your room with water to humidify the room. Drink lots of water. Sniff sesame oil and even rub it in the nostrils to further lubricate the membranes. I would run down to the local drug store and get a cool air humidifier for the office they’re all working in. I’d also pick up some saline nasal spray and sesame oil. I’d have Andrea use both the spray and the sesame oil in her nostrils. A cotton swab helps apply the oil, and sniff up so the oil gets in higher up. If there were a health food store around you might be able to find some ayurvedic nasal spray which has oil in it and it much easier to reach up in those passages where the bleeding is. I’d also get her into a bathroom and run the shower with the hot water on to steam up the room and let her breathe in the warm, moist air. And there’s another technique where you see which side the nose is bleeding from, raise the opposite hand above the head and spread the fingers, that helps to stop the bleeding. Andrea should also take some of the sesame oil and rub it on her skin to help balance her Vata. And drinking some warm Vata tea would help, too. In about 15 or 20 minutes, Andrea would be ready to go back to work like nothing happened – wiser because she knows how to take care of herself.

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31 Dec

Elemental Consciousness in the aftermath of Katrina

I‘ve been struggling with what to say, or write, with all the tragedy that has been going on in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It seems too big for words, too difficult to comprehend the enormity of it all, including the impact that it will have on generations. Today I was e-mailed this article, which I think is something interesting to think about. I’m copying it in its entirety: AWAKENING ELEMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS A Star Elders Message through Aluna Joy Yaxk’in Recent events are a signpost that another step toward your evolution, empowerment and awakening has been taken. Because of this, it is time to share with you a message about the elements. With the recent floods in the USA, the tsunami waves in Asia, increased volcano and earthquake activity, and even increased terrorist attacks, it is time to understand your part in all of this, and what you can do about it as a co-creator. It is time for you to understand that everything happens for a reason. Everything is in a divine plan for perfection even though, outwardly, it might look otherwise. Everything has a cause. That cause is found in levels of consciousness. We well know about your Japanese scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, who has proven that when water is blessed, it reacts and changes its molecular structure into a more harmonious state. It is equally provable that negative energy could effect water also. YES? Because you now know this fact, it has opened a whole new dimension in your world. You can now direct the consciousness of water! But we want to tell you that it is much more than this. In fact, the other forces of nature (fire, earth and air) will now all become more alive with consciousness just as the water has. These elements have always had consciousness, but now you can direct this potential. The more you are aware of this fact, the more alive the elements will become. The gateway in evolution to making the 4 elements directable conscious has been opened. This changes everything. What this means is that these natural elemental forces are now able to react to your consciousness. Negative energy or positive; It is up to you. What we what to talk about is the projection of negative energy, as this is what’s up on your planet right now. We want to show you what you can do about it. We want to show you why in the long run, this is a very good thing! Example . . . Negative projections, sent from one person to another, can effect the receiving person in a negative way, since their body is made up with a great deal of water. But it can only effect them in areas that are vulnerable. Thus making the receiver aware of a physical, emotional or spiritual weakness. This gives the receiver a unique opportunity to heal that area of their life. Once negative energy is sent out, it wants to find a place that feels like home. Like energy is attracted to like energy. The one who sent the negative energy in the first place has now compromised their energy field and is now vulnerable to attack. The more negative energy they dish out the more that will come back to them. So you do pay a heavy price for using negative energy. This creates a looping effect where negatives keep circumnavigating over and over. This is why some people can’t seem to get out of the negative patterns they are in, since they keep attracting the same issue over and over until they become aware that they can shift it. This is evolution! This makes sense to you, yes? “Your every thought, feeling, perception, spoken word, and performed action reverberates into the universe.” — Swami Muktananda Now what if one country directs negative energy to another country? What would happen? The receiving country would be effected in its geographically/energetically vulnerable locations by the universal law of attraction. Also, sensitive ones in those countries would be effected. Again . . . like energy attracts like energy. Energetically vulnerable locations are places on the earth where land has low vibrations, or where it has suffered misuse due to crime, misuse of drugs, violence, lower chakra energy, and general misuse like pollution. It might be a place that feels depressed, or you might feel tired or heavy while there. There are also natural occurring geographically vulnerable places on Earth . These can be near active volcanoes and fault lines, and land that is near or below sea level. When negative energy is directed to an entire land mass or country, these geographically and energetically vulnerable locations will be the first places that the consciously directed elements will go. These locations are susceptible to what we might perceive as negative events or conscious elemental upheaval. If an area is both geographically and energetically vulnerable at the same time, the elements will clear this area first. For example … In New Orleans, all 4 elements came into play as the land was both geographically and energetically compromised. The wind blew, the water rose, the earth gave way and the fire burned. Directed natural elemental forces rose up to clean up energetic disharmony at that location. Many who endured this event learned hard lessons. Not listening to the warnings of the elements and compromising your life to protect material goods, is not worth the price paid. Once negative energy has been sent out, it can’t be reversed. It is like when you say something hurtful to someone, you can’t take it back. It has been said. The elements will and do act out directed energy. But here is the good news. Now that you know this, you have the ability to direct the elements, and the elements will work for you quickly and efficiently. Many countries in your world have incurred much negative karma creating energetically vulnerable areas by the use of atom bombs, terrorist attacks, and unjust wars, and a general and continual misuse of power. This has created thousands, even millions, of enemies that send out negative projections by their thoughts. Many countries are being bombarded with negative energy on a daily basis, and sensitive ones out there are feeling the pressure of this. This energy does and will clear out geographically and energetically vulnerable areas. Isn’t this GREAT! The elements will and are cleaning up the planet. It is all in divine order and within a universal plan for life to evolve past a dualistic world. But now comes the responsibility that goes with this new step in evolution. Now it is time to take action. Drop the remote, get out of the chair, quit watching the world, and be a part of it once again. Remember that you are a powerful creator within this world. The powers at be know how to use your guilt, shame and fears to take control of you, so you won’t clean up the world. When you are grieving losses and are in shock, you can be used. Don’t let your sadness make you weak. Don’t let fear quiet your voice at this most powerful time. It is time to take action . . . in a POSITIVE WAY. Ancients have known this for some time . . . but now is the time to bring this truth into your time and world in which you live. You are already working with water to clear the planet of its disharmony. Now take this a step further. Work with the AIR, EARTH, FIRE and WATER. All elements are at your direction . . . not just water. Here is the hitch that you might have perceived in this plan. Remember . . . like energy attracts like energy. This is still true. When you send out positive energy to the elements, it will go again to places that feel like home . . . positive places. If wonderful and harmonious energy is sent out, it will reach places that are already harmonious and will be impacted with gentle harmonious elements. A gentle rain, a cool breeze, a gentle sun and an abundant Earth. So how do you heal the negative areas of your planet, and help ones in need? First you must maintain positive places on the Earth, Gardens of Eden if you wish, to give home to those ready to break their patterns of negativity and help them maintain a higher frequency. This way they will quit being vulnerable to negative projections. The more that we all evolve in this way, the less places that the directed elements have to clean up. Those many Gardens of Eden, that you will anchor, will grow and grow, and spread across the planet. This will reduce the environments which may be vulnerable to the elemental fury we are beginning to see. To shift negative areas of your Earth directly is tricky. Going into any kind of battle with the negatives in your area will not attract the desired results. There is another way, and here is how. You must be aware of the area of negativity to be cleared, but at the same time not give the negative any energy. You must dream/imagine the place or person into perfection. See the water pure, the air clear, the earth radiant and the fire righteous. If you see the negative in a place or person and try to heal that negative, you can only project negative laced with judgment and some good intentions. You will just neutralize your energy making it ineffective and a waste of your time. This is why praying or doing affirmations are not working for you anymore. Quit wanting, quit hoping. You must SEE IT ALL in a perfected state. You must become blind to the negative, and only see perfection in its place. You need to control your consciousness as a master does. But be forewarned . . . the necessary clearing of Earth will only be accelerated by your work. This is why global peace prayers seem to activate some violence afterwards. If you don’t believe us, look at your history. And remember that your participation in the clearing of Earth and humanity is a part of the divine plan. Your are already living in a higher frequency, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. It is not a time to hold back, or slow down the process. It is a time to take positive action. Soon . . . only one negative being will be left standing, and his/her last negative thought will be their undoing . . . And this our friends and family of Earth . . . This IS the Shift of the Ages. Aluna Joy Yaxk’in is an internationally known author, guide and modern mystic. Aluna Joy Yaxk’in, PO Box 1988, Sedona AZ 86339 Ph: 928-282-6292 Webpage: www.AlunaJoy.com – E-mail alunajoy@kachina.net Copyright © 2005 – Permission is granted to copy and redistribute this article on the condition that the content remains complete, full credit is given to the author(s), and that it is distributed freely. Center of the SUN – Aluna Joy Yaxk’in, PO Box 1988 Sedona, AZ 86339 USA Ph:520-282-6292 Ph/Fax:520-282-4622 Email: alunajoy@1spirit.com website: www.AlunaJoy.com

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31 Dec

Saturday Oct 9, 2004

I wonder how many people work at home on Saturdays… Probably lots! It’s a great day for me to get things done, because the phone isn’t ringing as much, and I don’t have to drive my son to school and activities – and my soap operas aren’t on to distract me! Share/Bookmark]]>

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31 Dec
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31 Dec

Critics Choice Movie Awards Nominees

The Critics Choice Movie Awards hosted by Aisha Tyler will air live for the second year on the CW network January 16th.  Additionally the BFCA and L.A.’s House Of Blues are teaming up to present a “Celebration Of Black Cinema” on January 7th .

Here’s the complete list of today’s nominees:

BEST PICTURE
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Saving Mr. Banks
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ACTOR
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford – All Is Lost

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Brie Larson – Short Term 12
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl – Rush
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Scarlett Johansson – Her
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels’ The Butler

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield – Ender’s Game
Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue Is the Warmest Color
Liam James – The Way Way Back
Sophie Nelisse – The Book Thief
Tye Sheridan – Mud

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Nebraska
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Spike Jonze – Her
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eric Singer and David O. Russell – American Hustle
Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine
Spike Jonze – Her
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis
Bob Nelson – Nebraska

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Tracy Letts – August: Osage County
Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke – Before Midnight
Billy Ray – Captain Phillips
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope – Philomena
John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave
Terence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity
Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis
Phedon Papamichael – Nebraska
Roger Deakins – Prisoners
Sean Bobbitt – 12 Years a Slave

BEST ART DIRECTION
Andy Nicholson (Production Designer), Rosie Goodwin (Set Decorator) – Gravity
Catherine Martin (Production Designer), Beverley Dunn (Set Decorator) – The Great Gatsby
K.K. Barrett (Production Designer), Gene Serdena (Set Decorator) – Her
Dan Hennah (Production Designer), Ra Vincent (Set Decorator) – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Adam Stockhausen (Production Designer), Alice Baker (Set Decorator) – 12 Years a Slave

BEST EDITING
Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers – American Hustle
Christopher Rouse – Captain Phillips
Alfonso Cuar�n, Mark Sanger – Gravity
Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill – Rush
Joe Walker – 12 Years a Slave
Thelma Schoonmaker – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Michael Wilkinson – American Hustle
Catherine Martin – The Great Gatsby
Bob Buck, Lesley Burkes-Harding, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Daniel Orlandi – Saving Mr. Banks
Patricia Norris – 12 Years a Slave

BEST MAKEUP
American Hustle
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Rush
12 Years a Slave

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
Pacific Rim
Star Trek into Darkness

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen
Monsters University
The Wind Rises

BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Iron Man 3
Lone Survivor
Rush
Star Trek into Darkness

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Henry Cavill – Man of Steel
Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man 3
Brad Pitt – World War Z
Mark Wahlberg – Lone Survivor

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Evangeline Lilly – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Gwyneth Paltrow – Iron Man 3

BEST COMEDY
American Hustle
Enough Said
The Heat
This Is the End
The Way Way Back
The World’s End

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Simon Pegg – The World’s End
Sam Rockwell – The Way Way Back

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Sandra Bullock – The Heat
Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Enough Said
Melissa McCarthy – The Heat

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
The Conjuring
Gravity
Star Trek into Darkness
World War Z

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Blue Is the Warmest Color
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
Wadjda

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Blackfish
Stories We Tell
Tim’s Vermeer
20 Feet from Stardom

BEST SONG
Atlas – Coldplay – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Happy – Pharrell Williams – Despicable Me 2
Let It Go – Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez – Frozen
Ordinary Love – U2 – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Please Mr. Kennedy – Justin Timberlake/Oscar Isaac/Adam Driver – Inside Llewyn Davis
Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey – The Great Gatsby

BEST SCORE
Steven Price – Gravity
Arcade Fire – Her
Thomas Newman – Saving Mr. Banks
Hans Zimmer – 12 Years a Slave

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31 Dec

Killing Buddha

Why Killing Buddha? (Excerpt from OmTimes article)

Laughter is the best medicine in hard times and Killing Buddha is first and foremost a comedy. And the title is politically correct! (It’s inspired from a quote from one of Buddhism’s most famous philosopher monks, Linji, the 9th century founder of Chán Buddhism.)

But the film also has a serious message and we have already attached three world superheroes of the New Age: Deepak Chopra, Barbara Marx Hubbard and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

While distributing “What The Bleep Do We Know?! ” I was honored to be able to travel the world to speak about my experience making “Bleep”. The most common question was “how did a girl like me, one who had never uttered the words Quantum Physics- end up making such a film?”

Sometimes it takes the most unlikely of people in the most unusual circumstances to create something that touches the world like “Bleep” did. The story I told had a resonance with so many, which I decided to, write a film about it: “Killing Buddha”
Crowd funding is a great way to get involved in the making of a film. Anyone who participates in this campaign will not only get them some cool perk (a t-shirt, a dvd or even a part in the film!)

By participating in this project at any level you’re invited to join a special group – come along as we make the film via a special website just for you! Watch videos from the set, see behind the scenes footage, chat online with the cast and the film makers and so much more! Once you join in the funding you’re a part of the team! Brief Synopsis:
Killing Buddha is loosely based on the life and experiences of Betsy Chasse and what happens when the least spiritual person on the planet gets hired to make a movie about spirituality.

Business flagging, dumped by her boyfriend, car repossessed and the bank eyeing her heavily mortgaged home, disenchanted ex-Hollywood film producer Sara Wells desperately wants change. Convinced by her agent to go to a yoga class, there she receives some simple advice: make a list of what you want and let the universe provide. Confident in her list-making abilities, uncertain about the universe and nostalgic for her Hollywood days, Sara tops her Wish List with a request for a movie to produce—a meaningful film that will change her life. Within hours, Sara is offered the script for Killing Buddha, a privately funded documentary about the modern Western spirituality movement. Sara’s deepest insight into spirituality is that God is dog spelled backwards. But she is intrigued by the coincidence with her list and drawn by the possibility of learning the ultimate recipe for instant happiness and success. Sara takes the project against the advice of her agent, setting out on a hilarious road trip with a bickering mismatched film crew of believers, cynics and seekers: Jason Stroud, born-again cameraman, Brin Halloway, bitterly disillusioned New Age consultant, Catholic editor and sound man Fabio Martinez, and wet-behind-the-ears African American PA, debutant and socialite, Michelle Kandell. Think “Bridget Jones seeks enlightenment while shooting a documentary about God”� a brilliant way of hiding great teachings in a funny, personable movie with a great female protagonist.
You can learn more about the film and her campaign at www.killingbuddhathemovie.com

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31 Dec

Healthcare

Healthcare

Years ago, when my son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), my life changed.  I went from being a mother to also taking on the additional roles of advocate and mediator.  In order to help my son get the help he needed and the services he was entitled to in school, I had to learn everything I could about the educational system, the healthcare system, and the law.  It is a challenge to navigate all of this, and yet it is essential in order to work with teachers, administrators, doctors, and therapists as part of a team.  I learned a lot, thanks in large part to an organization called CHADD, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders.  This is a national, non-profit organization with local, volunteer-run chapters.  Our local chapter held monthly meetings, which allowed parents to keep up with the various issues and changes.  Most importantly, the meetings provided a forum for parents to network with each other and share experiences and resources.

We got over all the hurdles, and managed to get through the system despite the complexities.  My son is in college now, and he has the tools to advocate for himself.  But there are new kids coming up, and new parents who are starting from scratch to figure all of this out.  Luckily, CHADD is still on it, providing us with the ongoing information we need to help our kids. 

Following is an e-mail I received from CHADD regarding the current Healthcare Reform Legislation.  I am happy to share it with you, and hoping that it will encourage all of us to look at the many children and families who will benefit from healthcare reform.  To those of us working so diligently to take care of our children, this is most welcome, and long overdue.

“House of Representatives Passes
Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Legislation

Many Provisions Will Benefit
Children and Adults with AD/HD and Related Disorders

On Saturday, November 7, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive healthcare reform bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) by a vote of 220-215. It is expected that the full Senate will debate and vote on its version of the bill in the coming weeks, which will then be followed by the House and Senate having its leaders meet in a conference to reconcile differences and produce a final piece of legislation that can be sent to the President.

CHADD, through its membership in the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Campaign for Mental Health Reform, and the Mental Health Liaison Group has sent letters to members of Congress in support of the bill. CHADD’s views on and support for healthcare reform legislation can be viewed on the Healthcare Reform 2009 webpage and CHADD’s Leadership Blog. CHADD has no position on many of the provisions contained in the legislation. The three primary disability coalitions CHADD participates in, believe there are significant key provisions warranting support of the legislation. 

A few key provisions in the final House bill that will benefit children and adults with AD/HD and related disorders include:

    * Requiring most Americans to obtain health insurance, and mandating that most employers provide insurance to their employees, but also providing substantial federal subsidies to make coverage as affordable as possible;
    * Providing coverage of critical services for people with disabilities in the new Health Insurance Exchange’s essential benefits package including behavioral health treatment, and mental health and substance abuse services in compliance with the Wellstone-Domenici parity law, rehabilitation and habilitation services, equipment and supplies for children under 21 years of age;
    * Inclusion of “disability” as a category for purposes of health disparities;
    * Inclusion of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, a new national long term services insurance program to help adults with severe functional impairments to remain independent, employed, and a part of their communities; and
* Not allowing individual or group health insurance policies to establish lifetime or annual limits on the dollar value of benefits and the elimination of discrimination based on health status or a pre-existing condition.

CHADD continues to actively monitor developments in healthcare reform. Updated information on the legislation, CHADD’s 13 principles for healthcare reform, children’s mental health coalition’s five principles for healthcare reform and CHADD’s work with other partner coalitions can be viewed on CHADD’s website: http://www.chadd.org

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31 Dec

No More Normal

After Thanksgiving and spending time with the family, we tend to look back with fondness and note just how crazy our clan really is.  It’s okay to admit it, it’s true for everyone.  I mean, there really is no “normal” anymore.  Is there any family that hasn’t been affected by dysfunction?  I don’t think so.  We could sulk about it, but it’s better to just laugh.  We’ve got in-laws and out-laws, steps and sibs, and the assorted characters and cousins who come by for whatever libations are being served.  Go ahead and join them, just don’t overindulge. There is a serious side to this.  A study from Columbia University came out today that says that almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life.  Even more alarming is that the numbers were greater for those who abuse alcohol or drugs.  But the biggest issue is that there is a widespread lack of treatment in the 19 to 25 year age group.  Hopefully this study will raise awareness and get young people to seek help.  It is important to have accessible mental health services along with other medical services on college campuses.  And it is important that insurance carriers routinely cover mental health services.  Imagine if 20-25% of the population had an untreated physical problem, like diabetes.  And yet, various forms of mental illness are affecting families all over the place and we don’t have the resources or means to get help. So here we are, coming up on Christmas, when the whole crazy bunch will be gathered together again.  What can we do?  We can’t solve everyone’s problems, but if we suspect that there’s an issue, we can be informed and offer guidance.  And just love them.  And be aware.  Let them talk, let them know that there’s a place for them where they are loved.  That’s what family is all about.

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31 Dec

Family Down Under

Yesterday I received a sad phone call.  My husband’s mother lives in Australia, and the nurse in her community phoned us to let us know that she passed away. She was just 75 years old.  I knew her just 6 years, and I loved her very much. Judith was about 4 foot 6 or so, but larger than life.  With her flaming red hair and her perfect enunciation, she was a grande dame!  She sang opera, loved the arts, music, worked as a designer when she was young, and lived a very cultured life, even when her home was in rural Australia.  She surrounded herself with beauty – she was an expert gardener, and her blooms grew large and proud all around her place, boasting of their color and strength for all the neighbors to envy.  In her backyard she grew herbs and vegetables for her own salads.  She was very environmentally conscious, and she composted, and steadfastly preserved water. Even in the garden, Judith was always dressed and accessorized like a perfect lady.  She loved her jewelry, and designed many of her own pieces.  She particularly prized her emeralds, as green was her absolute favorite color. She wore them all the time.  As her arthritis got worse, it was more a matter of convenience not to unlatch the clasps. Judith was the one who kept track of the family tree.  She knew the associations and distant relatives on every branch.  She had an amazing memory, and she loved to share stories.  She had traveled extensively, and had a keen vision for politics to go along with her big heart. There was a lot of pain in Judith’s life.  She lost her daughter, Angeline, when Angeline was still a teenager.  She lost her husband, and cared for her mother until her death.  She loved her family, and gave her blessings to her son, my husband, when he moved halfway across the world to marry me.  Now my husband, and his sister, and the 6 grandchildren Judith left behind, and all of her dear friends, will remember Judith as the great lady that she was.  I will miss her.

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31 Dec

5th Metatarsal

Tuesday night – I’m at Brian’s Volleyball game and the place is packed. Our team is playing the cross town rivals, so everyone is here for the big showdown. First game is a tough one, but we pull it out and win by just 2 points. As the team switches sides of the court, the fans in the bleachers switch sides, too. I don’t know how this tradition started, but since everyone else is up and moving, I’m moving with them. Second game, they beat us – but it’s close, and very exciting. In high school varsity volleyball it’s the best of 5 games, so we’re tied now, and we know we’re in it for at least 2 more games. Everyone up, we switch sides again. Third game is a nail-biter, but they beat us again – now we’re the underdog. Stress sets in. Everyone up, we’re switching sides. I’m walking along the bleachers, I like to sit near the top so I can lean on the wall – I’m carrying a big jacket, rainy day today, my purse, and a gift bag for the coach who just had a baby. People are scooting by, finding their way through the crowd to the other side. My foot slips under the bench, on the way down I see stars, hear a crack, and I land splat on my butt. Fellow parents try to lift me up. “Are you okay?” Embarrassed, I say “yes, I’m fine – my foot is stuck, though.” I wedge it out, gather my things, and sit near where I landed. Game #4 starts. My foot begins to throb. I take my shoe off and notice a big lump under my sock. My two feet do not match anymore. I’m starting to plan how I can gracefully exit and not interrupt the game. Recognizing that it is impossible to leave unnoticed I decide to stick it out. Our team wins in overtime – 28-30. As I stand to descend the stairs I realize that my foot cannot take my weight – the pain is too much. So I instead scoot down the seats of the bleachers to the bottom bench. Another mom asks what the heck I’m doing, then gasps when she sees my lumpy sock. She offers to carry me to the car. No, no – it’s not that bad, I protest. I’ve got to wait until the end of game 5, then my son can drive me home. Thankfully game 5 goes to just 15 points. Whoever wins this game wins the whole thing. The other team puts up a fight, but we come out on top. Yay, Lions! The helpful mom flags down Brian for me. I toss my right shoe into his gym bag and he helps me hop out to his car. We head home and I call my husband on the way – be ready, you’ve got to drive me to the ER! Greg brings me out a slice of cold pizza – the soy cheese version I prepared before I left for the game – and I wolf it down in the front seat. It’s still raining. At the hospital we spot a wheelchair. Greg drops me off and I sit and wait while he parks. He comes back and wheels me in. There are a lot of other people waiting, this ER serves a big radius, and I guess at this time of night none of us has any choice but to go there. While we’re waiting one of our Volleyball players comes in – he cut his chin falling on the floor of the gym and needs stitches. Hey, we won, it’s a battle scar! The TV drones on in the waiting room – I notice it’s well into the 9:00 hour – they finally call me for an x-ray. I’m still in the wheelchair and the guy pushes me through the big door. It’s awkward, and painful, getting onto the metal table. The technician is kind, and efficient. He tells me he’s not supposed to say, but yep, it’s broken. Called a “dancer’s fracture” it’s the most common break for women. The 5th metatarsal is the bone that goes from the pinky toe to the ankle, and mine is definitely broken. Back to the waiting room, I give Greg the news. We still have to sit and wait to see a doctor, who will look at the x-ray and tell me the same thing. Eventually I get through that door again, and sit on a gurney in the hall because all of the rooms are full. I’m feeling tired, this is way past my bedtime, and achey. The nice doctor takes a peek, and a poke, looks at the x-ray and confirms it. Time for a splint, and a nurse or assistant, some sweet young girl, fixes me up, brings me crutches and sends me on my way with a phone number to call the orthopaedist in the morning. Back in the car I realize I don’t have my cell phone. Where is it? In a puddle in the parking lot where we found the wheelchair – it must has slipped off of my lap. So much for that battery. The timing is not good for this little mishap. I’ve got a lot of family stuff going on, on top of the usual. But then, when would be a good time? I take this as a life lesson – God telling me to slow down, quit running around so much. And now I have no choice – it’s my right foot, so I can’t even drive. I have a new appreciation for the handicapped bars in bathrooms. I notice when people are kind enough to open a door for me and I’m grateful. I also notice the people who go out of their way to avoid me, maybe they’re afraid that I’ll hit them with a crutch. I’m using muscles I don’t usually use and I’m sore. The crutches hit right at about the bra strap so I have red marks under my arms. And I have bruises on my knees and tailbone where I hit the floor. I’ve never broken a bone before, so this is a new experience. It’s a learning experience, that’s for sure. I’ll live – and I’ll be better for it.

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