Money VS. Social Consciousness. Does Greed Always Win?

Recently, I have gotten a painful reminder that how you treat your body has a direct effect on your health; your future. This event has made me take a good look at my own health and as a result, I have started a program with a Holistic Health Coach. I know that there are a lot of people out there who are interested in healthy living, so I am going to share what I learn in hopes of spreading the information, starting conversation and sharing ideas.

This blog was going to be a review of my first meeting with my Health Coach, but I have taken a detour. Here's why...

I am angry and disgusted that the almighty dollar is more important in out society than the health of our citizens. 

I HATE cigarettes and the companies who make them!

We all know smoking is bad for you, but here is a reminder just how bad. 

The American Cancer Society states that smoking accounts for at least 30% of ALL cancer deaths and 80% of lung cancer deaths. 80%!!! There is no safe way to use tobacco.

Besides cancer, smoking is also a major cause of heart disease, aneurysms, bronchitis, emphysema and stroke.

50% of long term smokers will die because of it! 

Cigarettes are made up of over 4,000 chemicals, 60 known to cause cancer. Nicotine, an addictive drug is put into cigarettes to keep people hooked. Cigarettes are also laced with such things as cyanide, ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene, methanol, acetylene, (the fuel used in welding torches), as well as radioactive materials. Also put into cigarettes is tar and the poison gasses carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide.

Nicotine is a super toxin. Drop for drop, it is more lethal than strychnine or diamondback rattlesnake venom and three times deadlier than arsenic. Once inside the brain, it takes direct and indirect control over the flow of more than 200 neuro-chemicals, most importantly dopamine. The brain's dopamine pathways are taken hostage by nicotine and the brain is convinced that continuing the drug is important to its survival. Once hooked, it is too late, (Nicotine Addiction 101). Nicotine addiction is said to be worse than that of heroine.

What gets me the most is that the people who make cigarettes purposefully put crap in these death sticks that they know will cause addiction and kill people! In my opinion, it amounts to premeditated murder.

Last week, my sweet, beautiful, kind, talented, loving cousin Lizanne, who I love very much, died at the age of 56 from lung cancer. She was a smoker. She struggled with the addiction and eventually successfully quit, but the damage was done.

Yesterday, on the plane home from her funeral, I was flipping through the U.S. Airways Magazine. The travel section is titled, "Winston-Salem: A Carolina Jewel." One of the ways they were celebrating Winston-Salem was to profile the Reynolda Estate. It is 1,067 acre estate which was built in 1917 and is considered an historic site. The Reynolda Estate was built by R.J. Reynolds, who was the creator of one of the largest cigarette companies in the world. 

In the article, Allison Perkins, who is the Executive Director of the Reynolds Estate is quoted as saying,  "Reynolda is a story of vision and inspiration. When you understand the legacy of Katherine and R.J., you've understood an important piece of Southern history." As I read that particular quote, it made my blood boil. The REAL legacy of R.J. Reynolds is creating a product that kills people! Glorifying Reynolds and his estate that was built on the blood of people who use his poisonous product, is an insult to all who are affected by this type of greed.

The article hales the Reynolds as a power couple. "Separately they were formidable, but together they were unstoppable. R.J. built R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to become an industry leader behind such popular brands as Prince Albert pipe tobacco and Camel cigarettes...And under Katherine's direction they built the Reynolda Estate."

Instead of the museum which now boasts a Thomas Cole painting, the Reynolda Estate should house photos of all of the people who have died as a result of smoking R.J. Reynolds poisonous products. Instead of the 28 original buildings still sitting on the property that are being used for dining, shopping and recreation, those buildings should house cancer research and rehabilitation facilities. Maybe even smoking education and addiction counseling services. To glamorize and glorify R.J Reynolds and his Reynolda Estate is disgusting. 

It is the same thing with food. There are an amazing amount of toxins put into our food supply by one way or another. I will address that in the future...

Thanks for reading and indulging my rant. I believe it is important. If you smoke, I understand it is very hard, but put down the death sticks. They were purposefully made to kill you...don't let them win. I welcome your comments.

   

   

OCCUPY PROVIDENCE DONE?

The "Occupiers" are supposedly moving out of Burnside Park in Providence today, even thought they were supposed to be out by midnight Saturday. My opinion of Occupy Providence may be unpopular, but here goes...

In the beginning, the Occupy movement was pretty powerful and I was rooting for them to bring attention to important social injustices. I am not sure what, if anything got done in other cities, but I do know in many places they were kicked out of their encampments, arrested and the movements were squashed. I applaud Providence officials for the way they patiently handled the movement. As a result, the protest and end of it were peaceful. It seems as if the subject of protest within the Occupy movement was varied depending upon the location. Here in Providence the main protest became about the homeless. The Occupiers came up with a deal to move out of Burnside Park if the city opened a day shelter for the homeless. City officials agreed and The Dioceses of Providence stepped in and provided the money to fund it.

It seems as if the homeless issue took center stage because after a week or two, when everyone who has jobs and responsibilities left the park to get back to their lives, all who were left were homeless people who live in Burnside Park anyway. I mean, who can actually live in a park for months and months? The tents that littered the area in the middle of  Providence were mostly uninhabited, left to look like the movement was still going strong.

The Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless became affiliated with Occupy Providence, and some say they hijacked the movement to fulfill the goals of their organization. I am not saying that the homeless problem is unimportant, but it seems as if the end goal could have been something much more powerful than simply opening a shelter. There are already shelters in Providence that are not full. Homeless people have plenty of places to go.

When you build a house, the first thing to do is lay the foundation upon which everything else will be built. Not addressing the real issue of the homeless is like building a house without that foundation. All the work will eventually crumble.

A large number of homeless people suffer from mental illness or some sort of substance abuse. How about an outreach program to treat the mentally ill and addicts? Wouldn't that be a better way to use the power of the people? Getting to the root of the problem is the way to solve it, instead of just taking a pill to temporarily deal with the symptoms.

Although the Providence Occupiers have agreed to vacate Burnside Park, they have also made it very clear that they may show up somewhere else. I wonder what their next demand will be?

THE TEBOW EFFECT

I must preface this blog entry by saying, as a Kansas City Chiefs fan, I can not stand The Broncos! Yuck! However, I am quite taken by Broncos QB Tim Tebow. I have heard some of the sports analysts say that he is overrated, not a great QB and generally slam his talent. The guy is 24 years old and took the Broncos to the playoffs with some amazing wins along the way. The game against The Patriots ended his run for the 2012 season, but the effect that Tim Tebow has had on people this season is much more powerful than any Superbowl win could be.
It seems as if Christianity has taken a beating lately. Just one example: In the State of Rhode Island, Governor Lincoln Chafee made the decision to rename the State's official Christmas Tree a Holiday Tree. What is a "Holiday Tree" anyway? The Christmas Tree was born in the 15th century. A decorated fur tree with the place of honor at the top, reserved for a star to represent The Star of Bethlehem, or an angel to represent The Host of Angels. Both symbols of the birth of Jesus. During the tree lighting there was no mention or even hint of what this clearly religious symbol represents, Jesus Christ. The Governor based his decision on the separation of church and state, saying he wanted people of every religion to feel comfortable and welcome in The State House.
Apparently The Governor does not believe in the separation of temple and state, because just two weeks after the Holiday Tree lighting, the Lt. Governor of the State of Rhode Island hosted a Menorah lighting at The State House. It was complete with prayers and the attendance of a Rabbi. As a Christian, I am not the least bit offended that a Jewish religious ceremony celebrating the holiday took place at The State House, but I am offended that the Christian celebration of Christmas was too taboo. It was clearly an example of the attack on Christianity that is sweeping this country. The separation of church and state was not written to exclude religion from state institutions, it was based upon the principal that we are free to practice any religion we choose and mandated that the state not impose a specific religion on the people. It was based on religious freedom, not religious exclusion.
Having said that, I digress...     
In this day and age of religion, specifically Christianity, being taboo, Tim Tebow's faith is out there front and center. He is not ashamed.
Tim Tebow sets a great example for everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, by his humble, kind and generous nature. Character is way more impressive than anything Tebow or any other athlete could do on the field.

During his college football carer, Tim Tebow wore Bible verses in his eye black. During the 2009 BCS Championchip game, his eye black read: John 3:16. It is a popular Bible verse stating, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This practice continued until Tebow entered the NFL, which has a policy that prohibits players from wearing messages in eye black. However, Tebow continues to display his religious convictions in a pregame prayer stance on one knee with his head bowed, that has become known as "Tebowing."



Tebowing, a verb, is to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. It has gained worldwide popularity.

Now, this is where even non-believers have taken notice.
John 3:16....
During the first NFL playoff game in 2012, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Tebow threw for 316 passing yards, had 31.6 yards per completion and the Neilson television ratings for the game peaked at 31.6. That is more than simply a coincidence.
John 3:16....
The next day that Bible verse became the #1 searched phrase on Google.
Not only did he have some comebacks this season that many are calling divine, Tebow is one of the most charitable players in the NFL. Tim Tebow's devotion to Christianity and his extraordinary character should be applauded and admired more than his ability on the football field.
While I strongly dislike The Broncos, (my  mother told me never to hate), I am now an avid Tim Tebow fan. Do you think the Chiefs will ever pick him up? Well, I will pray for that. It seems to work for Tebow...

Demise of the Postal Service, demise of society?

Shannon Says...

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow will stop the mail, but the economy will. The Postal Service announced some big cuts today to save 3 billion dollars and avoid slipping into bankruptcy.

Here are just some of the cuts they are planning to make:
35,000 layoffs
252 of the 487 mail processing centers are bring studied for possible closure
One day delivery will be eliminated
Offer early retirement to 100,000 employees, using the surplus in the pension fund

Although postage is set to go up $.01 again and 563 million pieces of mail are sent each day, The Postal Service has lost 3.8 billion dollars in the last year alone. Electronic communication and online bill paying has put a huge dent in their revenue. It gets worse... The Postal Service relies solely on revenue generated from sales of its products and services to operate. It is illegal for them to take tax dollars from the government, but they still owe Uncle Sam 10.2 billion dollars in "loans." If all of these big numbers starting with a "B' are overwhelming, get this one.... The Postal Service must reduce it's budget 20 billion dollars by 2015 to move from the red to the black. 20 BILLION! That's a lot of Jack, Jack.

I don't know why people are surprised by this news. After bailouts of banks and car companies, the economy has attacked almost all of our American institutions. Silicone Valley is cleaning up while Main Street is dying. And it's OK, it is a function of our evolution.

I fully admit that I contribute to the problem. I email instead of send letters, I read the newspaper and look up People magazine online, I have gone completely paperless with my bills and pay them directly from my bank's website. However, I still believe that there is nothing as nice as getting a letter. Tearing open a birthday card to read the wishes inside is much better than "opening" an e-card. Getting a hand written thank you note conveys much more appreciation than an email lost in a sea of spam.

Our mode of communication keeps getting more impersonal, and it goes beyond the deterioration of written communication. Texting has now replaced talking on the phone. Dates are made, relationships are broken up, arguments are fought, and flirtations proffer. There is no need for anyone to even speak anymore...and I don't like it.

New To Blogging

Shannon Says...

Well, this is my first trip into the Boggosphere, (or Blogosphere - not sure how to spell it), and so far it hasn't been that bumpy of a ride. I have set up my account, although my URL "ShannonSays" has to have a number after it because apparently there are a few Shannons who have something to say. By the way, I chose 5 because it is my favorite number.

I need to make it perfectly clear that this is my PERSONAL blog with my PERSONAL thoughts. It is a personal  journalistic endeavor and not associated with my job as a News Anchor and Reporter. So, those of you reading this who may criticize me for my opinion, (which is ok, I want this blog to be about exchanging ideas and I respect other's opinions), please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and not a professional journalistic representation of news of the day. Geez...did I say personal enough? But, you get the picture...

Also, I sometimes take liberties with grammar and punctuation...(such as ...). Just to let you know, I am well schooled in proper punctuation and grammar but sometimes take liberties for effect. Now, spelling is a whole different thing. I am sure you will see some spelling errors because I am a terrible typist!!! For some reason, I think I need to put this disclaimer out there.

Some days I may comment on news stories while other days I may post a new recipe or an old favorite. I may talk about my experiences as a single female professional, (hopefully lots of posts about great dates then meeting the man of my dreams!), or random observations and thoughts from my day. Could be restaurant recommendations one day and where to get a great manicure the next. So, in other words...anything goes.

I will also post weekly poll questions, then reveal my thoughts on the subject as well as what my readers think. Be sure to participate, I look forward to seeing the results.

I have good news for those of you who followed my weight loss journey, I am going to resume it here! It is incredible that I still get stopped in public several times a week and receive lots of emails asking why the series on TV ended. Quite simply, I have new bosses with new ideas and continuing the series was not in their plan for the news product. I respect them and their decision.

I hope you participate and enjoy and we'll see where this thing goes...