13 Sep 2012

How to Take Your Talent from the Playroom to the Stage

By Ginny Grimsley
Young Phenom Offers Tips for Tweens and Teens
with Big Dreams

If you have a vision and a talent, don't ignore it. At least that's what Sydney Rose, 20, has learned.

The singer/songwriter whose debut pop single, "Breaking Rules," hit No. 23 on the national radio Top 40 chart in Sep, says she tried to put her dream on hold - and couldn't.

"I've been in love with music all my life," says Rose (www.sydneyrosemusic.com). "I've learned it's an important part of who I am and you can't ignore that, no matter what your age."

Rose grew up honing her singing skills, then learning guitar ("My first chord was D") and dancing. She overcame any lingering shyness about performing before audiences by joining two other girls in a pop/dance group called Rosemadayne.

But when it came time to attend college, she decided it was best to put her dream on a back burner.

"I was afraid," she says. "I wanted to experience college without the pressure of a music career, but I actually felt more pressure without my dream and I knew I had to nurture that passion that is so a part of me."

That's when she wrote her newest album, "Rise," an up-tempo celebration of life. It's getting airplay on radio stations across the country, a development that never ceases to amaze and delight the rising star.

"Listening to myself on the planet 96.7 right at this moment!!!" she posted recently on Twitter (@itssydneyrose). "This is surreal!!!! #bestdayeverever."

Rose offers tips for other young people who are determined to follow their dreams:

• Get your support team together: Whether it's parents, other family members, friends or teachers, you'll need people who encourage and help guide you. Coaches, mentors or instructors can help you improve - because no matter what your talent and how much of it you've got, you can always expand your abilities with help. Depending on your age, that may require financial and transportation support. "I started voice lessons when I was a tween, and to this day I get intensive voice training," Rose says. "But the more skills you have, the better, so I also started working on dance when I was 13 years old. No matter what type of creative talent you have - singing, acting, writing or painting - if you want to become a professional, you need training." Anyone who is supportive in your life, including friends, other family members and teachers, are reminders of why dreams matter to you.

• Set realistic goals: You may dream of being in the movies or on TV, but don't expect to start there! "I happily performed at bar and bat mitzvahs (bonus! - I met my manager through those), book stores, Best Buy stores, and at my vocal school," Sydney says. "These were great opportunities to get used to being in front of live audiences and learning how to interact with the audience." The smaller goals are there for you to reach the bigger ones - Rome was not built overnight, she says. Those who are supportive will remind you of the big picture.

• Remember, it's OK to be scared: Doing something for the first time can be really scary, and it's perfectly normal to be nervous. But don't let that stop you from getting out there and trying! "From experience, I know that almost anything that seems scary the first time gets much easier, and less scary, every time you do it," Sydney says. "Don't let fear keep you from ever taking the next step."

• Have fun! "With 'Rise,' I wrote songs that are fun and upbeat. I thought, 'If I'm going to do this for the rest of my life, I have to have an amazing time. Right?' she says. Part of what has helped the album's success is that she was genuinely happy and having a good time when she recorded it. No matter what you're doing, your true emotions tend to color your work - they're hard to hide, so work with them.

About Sydney Rose

Sydney Rose is a 20-year-old recording artist who has worked toward her success the old-fashioned way - through training, practice and dedication. She credits great coaches for helping her develop her talent for singing, dancing and songwriting, and she has become a rising star on the pop music circuit. Her new album, "Rise," is now available on iTunes.

13 Sep 2012

Mars Curiosity & the Human Condition

By Ginny Grimsley
Religious Scholar Cites 4 Reasons
to Support Space Exploration

Despite slashing government budgets on everything from entitlement to defense programs, NASA is proceeding with its $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Central to the mission's success is Curiosity - a one-ton rover that continues to impress Earthlings with laser blasts for rock samples, mobility via a joystick and plenty of video and pictures. On all accounts, the mission, which may provide answers to questions of life on Mars, has so far been a wild success.

"With this Mars program, NASA has once again captured the imaginations of people throughout the world, instigating conversations about the universe and even the significance of life not only on Earth, but also on other planets," says Sanjay C. Patel, (www.SanjayCPatel.com), author of "God Is Real," a book that explores similarities between modern science and ancient cosmology.

Science and religion do not conflict with each other; they are different languages that ultimately lead to the same truth, he says. As science has done in the past, Patel suspects more data from extraterrestrial locations like Mars will continue to confirm ancient religious theories. He discusses four reasons why the Mars mission is well worth the expense.

• 2012 meets 1492 - an argument for resources: It's not just science-fiction anymore; prominent scientists like Steven Hawking say Earth's moon, Mars and Titan, a moon of Saturn, have resources people will need sooner rather than later. The main reason - the world's explosive growth in human population and the exponential consumption of land and other necessities. What we might find, Patel says, is a scenario very much like that which early Europeans experienced in the New World: new foods, reams of building supplies, new fuels, land and other resources. We may discover things that will become essential to future human beings.

• A spiritual-scientific connection: Science has confirmed what religion posited more than a millennium ago, Patel says. For example, scientific findings have confirmed what ancient Yogis said: That volcanic fire scorched India about 120 million years ago. Related volcanoes in the ocean south of India submerged about 117 million years ago. "The submarine Fire exists in the ocean," he says, quoting ancient Yogis. "It drinks the seawater and removes its saltiness. It then expels the desalinated water from another opening. ... That perfectly describes the undersea volcanoes and hydrothermal vents near India."

• If we're not moving forward ... Predictions as to where we'd be with space exploration in 2012 were quite ambitious during the race to the moon in the 1960s. But we haven't accomplished a lot since then. Celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson recently argued that we're still reaping the benefits of the research and development that went into the space race decades ago, and to negate space exploration is to turn off one of humanity's most important dimensions - our ambition to innovate.

• Alien life may not be so alien: As the European discovery of the New World revealed, the meeting of foreign civilizations can have disastrous consequences. However, the discovery of life elsewhere, whether or not it is intelligent or self-aware, can further enlighten us as to our origins, our reason for being, and our role in the universe, Patel says.

About Sanjay C. Patel

Sanjay C. Patel studied theology, Sanskrit, ancient cosmology, advanced yoga and meditation techniques, among many other subjects, earning a degree in Divinity at the BAPS Swaminarayan Ashram in India. He continued studies of modern science and ancient spiritual texts for 30 years. His discoveries regarding the convergence of science and ancient texts were published in mainstream science journals and presented at the 22nd International Congress of History of Science in Beijing.

10 Sep 2012

U.S. Veteran Charities: Beyond Lip Service

By Ginny Grimsley
SEAL Team 6 Author Discusses Value of Legit Nonprofits

With the war in Afghanistan set to end in 2014, and the Iraq war having ended two years ago, charities that help veterans and their families may be busier than ever - but without the public awareness generated by an ongoing conflict.

Support for the war effort in Afghanistan is on par with the unpopular Vietnam War during the early 1970s, according to a recent Associated Press-GfK poll; only 27 percent of Americans support the effort in Afghanistan. A fundamental difference between then and now, however, is Americans' nearly unanimous support of U.S. troops, says J. L. Narmi, author of SEAL Team 6, bin Laden and Beyond (www.narminovels.com).

"The vitriol expressed toward our Vietnam veterans by many was disgusting, but I think we learned from that injustice, and most Americans think the troops deserve much more support than they're getting," says Narmi, who comes from a military family. All proceeds from his book sales will go to support veterans' charities.

"The problem is that funding, whether it's through government or private charities, doesn't match the expressed support," he says. "And I worry that will only get worse as these soldiers move out of the public eye and try to take up peace-time lives."

Narmi cites some good resources for Americans looking for quality charities that support the troops:

• The Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org): With advances in protective gear and life-saving medical technology, fewer troops are coming home in coffins than in previous wars, but more are coming back with lifelong injury. This charity seeks to foster a generation of well-adjusted wounded service members, and to raise public awareness about their needs and how fellow military men and women can help each other.

• The Navy SEAL Foundation (www.navysealfoundation.org): As detailed in Narmi's novel, SEALs are among the most physically and mentally talented individuals in the world. But they, along with their families, endure enormous stressors, many of which are never discussed due to the nature of their duties. This charity supports these elite warriors and their families.

• Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org): Whether or not you think you know about the legitimacy of a charitable organization, it doesn't hurt to take a few minutes to verify an organization's status. This site is widely recognized by investigative reporters to be a reliable resource in reporting a nonprofit's activity. The above two groups, in which Narmi has donated money, have been verified via Charity Navigator.

• Still not sure? ... Skepticism is understandable. It seems the more we hear or read about charities, the more we learn that we shouldn't simply take their word for how donations will be spent. Media coverage spotlights those outlier groups that are clearly fraudulent; however, most charitable organizations are absolutely streamlined, with workers donating their time or receiving a minimal wage. It has never been easier to verify a charity's reputation. Additionally, for those with the time and willingness, individuals may create their own nonprofit. Narmi is working to set up his own, called Hire the Vets!

"If everyone who said they support the troops gave just a modest amount to help a veteran that has risked his or her life for our freedom, we would come across far fewer tragedies on the news about vet-related joblessness, homelessness and suicide," he says.

About J. L. Narmi

J. L. Narmi comes from family with deep roots in the military; his brother, retired Rear Admiral Ronald E. Narmi, worked closely with SEAL teams throughout his career. Narmi's fascination with the Navy SEALs resulted in ""SEAL Team 6, bin Laden and Beyond," which was completed just eight days before the real-life mission that resulted in bin Laden's death. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa and earned his MBA from Creighton University. Narmi is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute of the Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania.

09 Sep 2012

Americans Can Take Lessons in Surviving the Economy from 1800s Immigrant

By Ginny Grimsley

A Century Ago, Self-Reliance Wasn't an Option - It Was a Requirement, Translator Says

While the current recession continues to hit millions hard, a researcher says the example of our ancestors should inspire us.

"We have become so accustomed to the fruits of our forefathers' labor that many of us have forgotten just how tough they had it," says Sigrid Wilshinsky, translator of "My Life in America Before, During and After the Civil War" (www.amazon.com). She translated numerous letters from German immigrant Louis Hensel, who wrote about life in the United States throughout the mid-1800s to his German granddaughter, Emma, whom he had never met.

"Reading Hensel's letters is like peeking through a rip in the curtain of history and seeing through the eyes of one who had experienced so much," Wilshinsky says.

That includes meeting Abraham Lincoln in the White House while pretending to be a translator to various Native American tribes; life in New York City in the mid 1800s; training the Union Calvary as a master horseman; the adventures of a traveling opera company, and various intimate details of an America that was still untamed yet quickly ascending as a world powerhouse.

Today's economic troubles are serious and we don't know exactly where they are heading, Wilshinsky says, "but imagine losing a well-to-do business in France, thanks to a revolution, another in Long Island 10 years later, and yet another in Williamsburg (in Brooklyn) because of illness."

Wilshinsky provides tips for surviving today's economic woes via inspiration from Hensel's example:

• A jump-starter: Hensel writes that many immigrants who landed in New York took a few weeks to settle in, sightsee, and get accustomed to city life in America before seeking work. Not him; he writes that after acquiring comfortable lodgings - procured by a friend -- he immediately walked the streets to find work, which he found at the end of his second day in the United States.

• Capitalize on all your talents: Before fleeing Paris, Hensel had a thriving engraving company. He was able to use this skill to immediately land a job. Hensel continually honed his knowledge in order to work in a variety of capacities, Wilshinsky says. He learned equine veterinary medicine in his spare time, made nightly runs to the fruit and vegetable market in New York for produce sales, joined local theater groups and was hired by the German Opera Company, with whom he traveled the United States during the winters.

• An indefatigable work ethic: For Hensel, not working was never an option. While writing his letters to Emma during his later years - he lived to be 91 - he discussed life as a music teacher to locals, which meant plenty of traveling. Always an active man, Hensel loathed physical inactivity, and work was a way of life for him.

• A helping spirit: Although Wilshinsky says Hensel may have "bragged a bit" about his deeds, he was nonetheless heroic in his aid to others during numerous incidents.

• An open heart/open mind: Hensel naturally gravitated toward well-educated people, and he learned from them. He valued honesty and integrity in his business dealings, which earned him trust, respect and a strong network of friends and colleagues.

About Sigrid Wilshinsky

Born in Berlin, Germany in 1943, Sigrid Wilshinsky's family escaped into West Germany in 1952. She benefited from a world-class education in Berlin, where she focused on art, and immigrated to the United States in 1962. She has since traveled the world as a stewardess and eventually became a resident of the Pocono Mountains, where she has befriended the local wildlife. Like Louis Hensel, the German-born renaissance man of the 1800s whose letters she translated, Wilshinsky is a multitalented individual with many interests.

09 Sep 2012

New Trials Offer Reasons for Hope, Cancer Researchers Says

By Ginny Grimsley

Doctor Shares Q&A for Cancer Patients Seeking
Experimental Treatments

The basic problem researchers seek to overcome in finding a cure for cancer is the body's general inability to fight the disease. Immune systems can do very little to penetrate the robust molecular shield found in tumors.

But those shields may no longer be so impenetrable, thanks to a new experimental drug called BMS-936558, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Studies show it produces significant shrinkage when used in fighting specific forms of lung, skin and kidney cancers.

"Clinical trials with new drugs like BMS-936558 offer hope for patients battling advanced cancers and those that are difficult to treat," says physician Stephen Garrett Marcus, a senior biotechnology research executive, and author of a comprehensive new reference book, Complications of Cancer (www.complicationsofcancer.com).

"While experimental treatments are not the best option for everyone with cancer, they can be a very good one for people for whom current treatments offer poor outcomes. And, in the greater scheme of things, trial participants are making an important contribution to others with the disease. While they may not be cured, their involvement can significantly move research forward."

Marcus shares tips for patients and family members interested in investigating, and perhaps enrolling in, a clinical trial.

• How can a person with cancer rapidly identify promising clinical trials? The National Institute of Health's website (www.clinicaltrials.gov) maintains the most comprehensive registry of cancer clinical trials. The site includes information regarding significant clinical trials in progress. Each listing features the name of the clinical trial, the purpose of the study, the criteria that make a person eligible to participate, the study locations and contact information.

• How does a person enroll in an experimental program? When a good fit in a program is identified, a physician's referral will help expedite an evaluation. If necessary, self-referral can be accomplished by calling the medical center directly and making an appointment to see the physician running clinical trials. Details for making an appointment can be found on the NIH's website.

• What preparations can be made prior to being seen at the medical center?A complete package of information that gives a clear story of a person's medical illness can be very useful and should be brought to the clinic at the time of the first appointment. The center at which a person is evaluated for experimental treatment may give a person a checklist of what to bring to the appointment. This may include a letter from the person's physician; surgical, pathology and radiology reports; and other test results. Having all relevant information organized for the first visit streamlines the process for a comprehensive evaluation, and decisions regarding the best treatment option can be made more quickly.

• How does a person make a decision about whether or not to enter a clinical trial? This decision is made with a thorough understanding of standard treatments and experimental options. Information about these standard and experimental treatments can be provided by the physicians and other caregivers; details are also included in Complications of Cancer.

• Who pays for the experimental medication? The experimental treatment itself should generally be free. Almost all true experimental treatment programs will pay for the experimental medication. Legitimate research almost never asks for money from subjects. Be very wary of treatments advertising high-cost, "cash only" payments; experimental treatment for a very high price is usually not associated with legitimate research.

About Stephen Garrett Marcus, M.D.

Stephen Garrett Marcus, M.D. received his medical degree from New York Medical College and completed a medical oncology fellowship at the University of California in San Francisco. As a senior research executive in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry since 1985, he played a lead role in developing Betaseron as the first effective treatment of multiple sclerosis, as well as several new cancer treatments. Marcus is the president and CEO of a biotechnology company developing new treatments for cancer and its life-threatening complications. He is the author of "Complications of Cancer" (www.complicationsofcancer.com), a book written for everyone about serious complications of common cancers and "When Life is in Jeopardy", a book providing comprehensive information about common life-threatening illnesses, injuries and complications.

09 Sep 2012

YouTube My Twitter and I'll Flickr Your Google

By Ginny Grimsley

By: Joe Thomas of Left Brain Digital

You hear it and see it every day: Follow me. Like us. Google it. And you know exactly what it means, don't you?

That's the power of brand recognition. You know the Gecko, the e-Trade baby, and probably all the words to the Free Credit Score.Com songs, too. What? You thought these characters and catch phrases just happened overnight? Not! They were planned and strategically planted, and they have become the "faces" of their respective brands.

Recognition is not the only thing - it's everything. I'm going to use an author as our test dummy for this piece because I've developed enough author websites to know there is a lot of confusion about how they should brand themselves.

I recently had a conversation with a prospective new client; let's call him Gunther Zigby. Now, Gunther wrote a book and hired an out-of-work hairdresser to "build a website tonight" that finally appeared online four months later. After getting only 30 visitors to his site and not selling a single book in more than five months, Gunther talked to a friend of a friend, who gave him my number.

I asked Gunther for his web address and he gave me the title of his book. I asked him if he had misunderstood - I was asking for his web address, the URL for his site.

"That's it," he said. "My book title is my website address, too. Pretty cool, huh?"

Well, Gunther, no. Not really!

I only mention Gunther Zigby because it leads me into a really important-sounding message: The Proper Packaging In Relation to the Development of Your Brand.

1. As an author/writer - understand that YOU are the brand - not your book.Have you ever heard of John Grisham? I rest my case.

2. A good many authors are also public speakers. When was the last time you heard of a book being hired for a speaking engagement? See, when it's all said and done, they really do want YOU!

3. If your website URL is your book title, what happens if, and when, you write another book? Now you're catching on; you just figured out that you'd have to build a whole new website for the second book, didn't you?

As an author, odds are you have written one or two books, but are still virtually unknown outside of your circle. It's not easy, but without the right tools, it's pretty much impossible to break out of that circle. You have to create a package that will upgrade you from "virtually unknown" to "hot commodity." That requires a plan and execution.

You may be branding yourself as an expert on your topic - because you are! That's a smart way to go but only part of the package. What kind of expert are you? Are you a roll-up-your-sleeves hands-on sort? Or do you have a flash and polish that make people say, "She's successful. I need to listen to her." Or, are you a funny, approachable everyone's-favorite-uncle type?

What is your message? Your promise? What can you consistently deliver, whether it's on your blog or as a speaker?

Even when you have everything 110 percent right, it's not easy achieving the stature that makes your name as well-known as, say, John Grisham's. But by laying the right foundation, you're at least giving yourself a good running start.

About Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas is the founder and owner of Left Brain Digital (www.leftbraindigital.com), a web development company. He's an award-winning web designer/developer with more than 18 years of experience in print and web design and development. Thomas' work became a major influence in graphic and web design in the "Y2K" era of the Internet's dot-com explosion.

09 Sep 2012

Rediscovering Camelot: As Kennedy Anniversary Approaches, Art Expert Reveals New Theory

By Ginny Grimsley

Planning already is underway to mark the 50th anniversaryof the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 2013. Commemorative events in Dallas and in churches across the country are being organized. TV host Bill O'Reilly is set to release a new book, "Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot," this fall, and a feature movie, "The Kennedy Detail," is planned for release next fall.

"As people ponder the legacy of President Kennedy and his 'Camelot,' it's a good time to revisit the original Camelot of King Arthur legend, and I have compelling new evidence about where it may have been located," says art expert Terry Stanfill, author of Realms of Gold: Ritual to Romance (realmsofgoldthenovel.blogspot.com), a novel of ancient history and modern romance that posits her new theory about Camelot.

"The Arthurian legend is so ancient, and yet it has been one of the most enduring interests in Western civilization," she says. "It's exciting to think that after all of these centuries, we have a strong case for a real Camelot."

Educated in Medieval history, Stanfill has traveled extensively through Asia and Europe, particularly France and Italy, and researched the art and artifacts. She offers this primer on King Arthur, including her own surprising theory about the true location of the original Camelot:

• The legend
Arthur as king was first mentioned in "The History of the Kings of Britain" by Geoffrey of Monmouth, 1100-1155. A generation later, Chrétien de Troyes, a French bard and poet, began to weave stories about King Arthur's court, introducing the characters Lancelot, Guinevere and Perceval. He was the first to mention Camelot, King Arthur's home, describing it as "a place by a river, surrounded by forests and plains beyond."

• The reality
Toward the end of the Roman Empire, circa 450 AD, Arthur Riothamus, King of the Britons, was hired by the Romans to fight off invading Goths and Visigoths. There is documentation from multiple sources that Arthur spent a lot of time in Burgundy, France. He died after a battle near Bourges and was taken by his men to Avallon in France, a town that had existed for centuries. This is fact, not fiction.

• Avalon
While many people believe the mystical Avalon of Arthurian legend was in England, perhaps near Glastonbury, there is no record of a place called Avalon in that country.The Avallon region of France, however, has long existed. It was and still is known for its fruit trees and vines, much like the lush island of legend.

• Camelot
While many presume Camelot was in England, the extraordinary discovery in 2007 of the remains of an ancient community on Mont Lassois in France makes Stanfill wonder if this was actually the true Camelot. The community is near Avallon, and among the buildings unearthed there appear to be the remnants of a palace, including a great hall, where there is evidence of feasting.

"When Chrétien de Troyes wrote of Camelot, this place may have been held in the memory of the locals as a place where peace, prosperity and the good life held a long reign," Stanfill says. "His vision was a nostalgic tribute to a distant, golden age of tranquility that was on this hilltop."

Stage director Manfred Flynn Kuhnert, an Arthurian legend aficionado and teaching fellow at Harvard College, says Stanfill offers the most compelling evidence he's heard for the historical existence of Camelot and its location in France.

"The citadel of Latisco on Mont Lassois -- a site of palatial buildings unprecedented in the Celtic world - is not far from Avallon," Kuhnert says. "Arthur Riothamus' time in Burgundy is documented, and we know that the first person to write about Arthur was the bard Chrétien, who lived in the area.

"This place is exactly as he described it: 'on a hill, a place by a river, surrounded by forests, with plains beyond.' Terry Stanfill may well have it right."

About Terry Stanfill

Terry Stanfill holds a degree in English literature with a minor in medieval history. She is an Overseer of the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif. An enthusiastic preservationist, she was decorated by the president of Italy with the Ordine al Merito, Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana, and more recently as Commendatore, for her fundraising efforts for the restoration of San Pietro di Castello, the ancient cathedral of Venice. She is a former international representative for Christie's auction house and former director of Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif. "Realms of Gold: Ritual to Romance" is her third novel. Her first two are "The Blood Remembers" and "A Tale of the Fortuny Gown." Stanfill is married to Dennis Stanfill, former CEO of 20th Century Fox and MGM Studios.

07 Sep 2012

Expert Shares Tips to Prepare for Surgery

By Ginny Grimsley
How the 'Herbal Martha Stewart' Got Ready
for Her Hip Replacement

While they're the place we go for healing, all hospitals have the potential to be a hotbed  for contagious infections.

But there are precautionary measures patients can take, both to reduce the need for a hospital stay and to condition the body to ward off infection and minimize pain when surgery is necessary, says Letha Hadady, a nationally-recognized herbal expert and author of Naturally Pain Free, just published by Sourcebooks (www.AsianHealthSecrets.com). Letha has been documenting in real time her recent hip replacement, preparation and recovery, in a video blog on her global website.

"We are fast approaching a time when antibiotics will be outdated because infectious bacteria - Superbugs - have become resistant," she says. "We have to protect ourselves with the gifts of nature that germs cannot adapt to - foods, minerals, herbal remedies and other natural products that build our defenses."

There are 600,000 knee-replacement and 300,000 hip-replacement surgeries performed each year in the United States, a number that has doubled in the past 10 years and continues to grow, Hadady says. As a health expert cited by NBC News, AP Radio, Newsday, the Daily News, the San Francisco Chronicle and Barbara Walters, she says she is concerned about the risks, pain and fear as many people face both major and minor surgeries.

"These surgeries are only going to become more frequent as the baby boomer generation ages. People 50 and older with osteoarthritis are most likely to need hip- and knee-placements," she says. "But plenty of younger people are affected, too. Runners, dancers, tennis players, soldiers - even high school students who suffer sports injuries. It could be you on the operating table!"

Hadady offers these tips to naturally condition the body before surgery:

· Herbal strength: A few weeks in advance of her operation, Hadady ramped up her intake of herbal supplements. A key herb was Yunnan Paiyao, a traditional  medicine used in Chinese hospitals and by their soldiers to prevent excessive bleeding. Other herbs can be taken to help build up resistance to bacteria.

· A calm and focused mind: Stress increases inflammation and is a burden on internal organs. A calm, centered mind -- attained through techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and mineral baths - can help the body weather the trauma of surgery, she says.

· Knowledge is power: While researching "Naturally Pain Free," Letha tried alternative treatments for arthritis ranging from traditional Asian remedies to cutting-edge stem cell injections. Before her operation, Hadady asked questions and researched her hospital, doctors, the procedure, and insurance coverage. This allowed her to better prepare for the operation and gave her peace of mind.

· Follow hospital recommendations: In addition to alternative therapies, it's important to heed the advice of one's doctors, before and after a procedure, she says. With her supplements, Hadady restricted her vitamin C intake, which thins blood, and she received an antibiotic ointment to ward off MRSA -- an antibiotic-resistant superbug that can cause life-threatening infections.

· Diet and exercise: "This may seem obvious, but it's a message we cannot emphasis enough for overall health," she says. One reason why replacement procedures are so prominent is due to the "sitting lifestyle" so many now have. Muscle atrophy from too much sitting can be a cause for joint-replacement, she says. "Sitting is the new smoking!"

About Letha Hadady

Letha Hadady has been called the "Martha Stewart of herbs" for her expertise in traditional Asian and alternative health. The author of five books, including her latest "Naturally Pain Free," Letha has appeared widely on TV--including CNN, Today, The View ? talk radio, and the internet. Letha is an adjunct faculty member for New York Open Center, and The Renfield Center for Nursing Education, Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. She has led stress-management workshops and acted as a natural product consultant for Sony Entertainment Inc., Dreyfus, Ogilvy & Mather, and Consumer Eyes, Inc. in New York.

05 Sep 2012

T-Shirts with a Purpose Raises Awareness of Human Trafficking

By Ginny Grimsley
You Don't Have to Be Powerful
in Order to Have an Impact, Expert Says

Slavery not only still exists - it's a thriving big business throughout the world, says Lucia Mann, author of "Rented Silence" (www.luciamann.com), which explores slavery and institutional brutality.

She lists the following facts that have global citizens concerned:

• There are more human slaves in the world today than ever before in history, roughly 27 million people.

• Children make up nearly half; each year, 2 million children are forced into prostitution.

• Approximately 75 to 80 percent of human trafficking is for sex.

• Sex trafficking plays a major role in the spread of HIV, researchers say.

• Human trafficking not only involves sex and labor, people are also trafficked for organ harvesting.

• A human trafficker can earn 20 times the amount paid for a girl - at least $250,000.

"As terrible as the transatlantic slave trade was throughout four centuries, there is now more than twice the amount of slaves today being trafficked than those who were shipped to America," says Mann, whose Sicilian mother was a sex slave in South Africa and a World War II concentration camp survivor. As a child, Mann was abducted from her mother by her biological father -- her mother's master.

Young people are joining the effort to fight the tidal wave of human trafficking, including Emily Fulker, a freshman at Shippensburg University. She became inspired to act after learning about the Underground Railroad in the 1800s, as well as today's slavery, in school and in her church.

Fulker and her friends decided to find a way to contribute to International Justice Mission, an organization that rescues victims of human trafficking, by selling stylish T-shirts featuring facts about today's slavery problem. Find the shirts by typing "Buy Shirts to Free Modern-Day Slaves" into a search engine online.

Mann offers additional suggestions:

• Scholarship credits: Overachieving high school students frequently participate in charitable events and organizations to earn credits for scholarships. Students can speak with their guidance counselor to see if they can get credit for a car wash, bake sale or other event to earn money for organizations that help today's slaves.

• Host city watches: Any city hosting major events, such as a political or business convention or the Super Bowl, among others, is at higher risk to experience prostitution and human trafficking abuses. The Catholic Sisters congregations have recently taken measures to fight slavery-based prostitution in American cities; Mann says other charity groups should consider doing the same.

• Tax-deductible events: Successful businesses frequently contribute to charity for at least three reasons - to help those in need; donations can be written off  come tax season; and it is great PR in any given community. Though there are many worthy charities, more businesses might consider tackling this relatively new and growing problem, Mann says.

About Lucia Mann

Lucia Mann was born in British colonial South Africa in the wake of World War II and lives in West Covina, Calif., and British Columbia, Canada. She retired from freelance journalism in 1998 and is the founder of the Modern-Day Slavery Reporting Centre, www.mdsrc.org, the first hotline for victims and concerned citizens. To report suspected trafficking, visit the site or call (800) 610-7035, ext. 227.

30 Aug 2012

5 Tips for Setting Up Shop in Paradise

By Ginny Grimsley
Entrepreneur Shares How He Traded Suit & Tie
for Flip-Flops & Cut-Off Jeans

Dreams come true, but not through wishful thinking, says John Berglund, a corporate executive turned "flip-flop perfumer."

After successful careers as an attorney, lobbyist, trade-association executive and bowling industry magnate, Berglund tired of the corporate rat race.  He was also tired of winters bundled in layers of long johns, shoveling snow.

"Everybody has their own version of paradise," says the author of A Beach Less Traveled: From Corporate Chaos to Flip-Flop Perfumer, (www.abeachlesstraveled.com). "Whether it's New York City, the Great Smokey Mountains or my personal favorite, the French-Caribbean island of St. Martin, paradise is within reach - with a little planning."

An essential part of that was deciding what to do for a living once he got there. Berglund would embark on his new career path as a perfumer with his wife of more than 30 years, Cyndi. How did he do it? He shares the strategies that worked - and some that didn't.

• Dream big ... and do it: Berglund remembers sunning on a pristine beach with his wife, listening to the gentle sounds of wind and turquoise seawater lapping on the shore. When Cyndi heard him order an adult beverage in French, she shook his arm to wake him for the morning commute to work ... in the dead of winter in Wisconsin. He was dreaming - literally. "I'd always had a high standard of living, which I've enjoyed, but it was time for me to risk a completely foreign scenario - in terms of business and lifestyle - and follow this dream."

• Business trends: Boutique perfumeries are where boutique wineries were three decades ago - they're personal, fun and interactive, Berglund says. They're not just about walking into a store and choosing a bottle from a shelf. He offers his customers a hands-on experience customizing their scents, and by using local ingredients, he offers visitors a meaningful souvenir of their stay. Berglund envisions his new business as a model at several vacation destinations.

• Fortitude amid real-world challenges: A dream is the spark to the journey, but moving to St. Martin, where the natives speak French and Dutch, and starting a business takes work. The hurdles for Berglund included the search for property, anxiety on closing the property deal, remodeling, acclimating to life there, obtaining a business license, moving and the language barrier. "These problems may be deal-breakers for many people, but part of the excitement of doing anything worthwhile is the fact that it's not easy," he says.

• A history of business sense: Creating an unprecedented cottage industry may seem like a long shot layered in wishful thinking. "But this isn't my first rodeo," Berglund says. "I've made several career moves throughout my life, and no matter how unlikely, I always came out okay." He acknowledges, however, that he was in the right phase of his life to pull off such a change. Plan and prepare so you're ready for change, he says. Risk is involved.

• Loved ones: Even though Berglund's children were grown and he was capable of achieving his dream, he needed to make sure Cyndi was on board. "You can do all the planning and troubleshooting that is necessary for a dream to work, but the one thing that can change the minds of the most passionate is the opposition of a loved one," he says. "It's worth a discussion with your family early in the planning process."

About John Berglund

John Berglund began his career as the chief county prosecutor at age 24 and then transitioned into a lobbyist and trade-association executive. Another career shift led him to being voted the bowling industry's most influential person for a decade. He followed his passion for chemistry, which he studied in college, and left the "rat race" for his Caribbean perfumery in St. Martin. Berglund lives with his wife of more than 30 years, Cyndi, who has significantly contributed to his dream job in paradise. The couple has two grown children.

Pages

Subscribe & Listen to Reader Podcasts

On Stands Now

 

Tagged Content

    

Two Ways to Subscribe

1. Subscribe to free weekly e-mail content updates.

You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Real Astrology and RCR Crossword every week?) 

Subscribe!

* indicates required

2. Get 12 monthly issues mailed first class for $48

Get 12 issues mailed monthly for $48 per year.

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Subscribe now.