Warning! Read The Label On Your Prescription Medications

Sad to say, Michael Jackson's death has prompted a lot of questions about the type of medications that we are taking on a daily basis. How many times have you heard someone say to you that they know someone that is taking at least 10 different "prescribed" medications per day? Before my uncle passed away last year, I remember him telling me that he was taking at least 40 pills per day. I couldn't believe it! Could someone tell me how in the world can someone take so much medication and expect to get better. Anyone taking that much medication is a " walking pharmacy". Okay, you have the pharmaceutical companies that produce thousands of different medications that are supposedly be able to treat the problem , who in turn market these medications to the physicians and also to the pharmacists. First of all, I am not saying that the pharmaceutical companies are doing anything wrong. I am just saying that your physician is the one that prescribes the medications that he or she feel may be of benefit to you. Let me give you a brief scenario.....Have you ever been to a physician and was told that you had one ailment and then you decided to get a second opinion only to find out that it was something totally different. What if you didn't get a second opinion and you were taking the "prescribed " medications for an ailment that didn't exist. I wonder how many people are taking medications that they may not need. I am not a physician of course, nor am I a pharmacist or a representative for a pharmaceutical company. But I do believe that all parties involved including ourselves have a responsibility in making sure that we all do what is right for our well being. Of course it is believed that Michael Jackson died from prescription medication. But what health care provider in his or her right mind, would practice unethical procedures to put someone to sleep. There are many alternatives to treat sleep deprivation. Suggestion to everyone that take any form of prescription medication...talk to your physician....call your pharmacists...tell them about all of the medications that has been prescribed for you to take...find about any side effects of the medications...or do some research yourself via the internet. Take responsibility for your health..... read the label and ask questions. An ounce of prevention could save your life!

Michael Jackson....The Man In The Mirror

The death of Michael Jackson has impacted the emotions of millions of people from around the world. Even though Michael Jackson passed away on Thursday, June 25th....I am still in somewhat disbelief that this talented young man is actually deceased. I can vividly remember where I was when I found out and my reaction as I was being told of his "untimely" death. It was approximately 6:00 pm and I was at a furniture store walking around. As I was walking through the store, I saw this television that was broadcasting Madonna's newest video. The salesman walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to purchase the group of furniture that was in the vicinity of the television , I told him "no, thank you" and that I was just viewing Madonnas' video. He then proceeded to tell me that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson had died. I then asked him, " What do you mean that Michael Jackson is dead "? He then repeated himself again...the next thing that I said to him was.."No, Michael Jackson isn't dead ". At that moment I didn't want to look at anymore furniture and I quietly walked out. I am pretty sure that you remember where you were and your initial reaction when you first heard about his death. Michael impacted millions of people all around the world for over 40 plus years with his music, legendary dance moves and his giving heart. Michael Jackson was and still is one the greatest musical legends in modern day history, I can't think of anyone that has made such a major impact in my lifetime. No offense to Elvis, because Elvis had a major impact as well. Michael Jackson gave us his talent for a much longer time and his music transcended race, genre, religion. He gave us rock and roll..soul..pop...ball room dancing...modern dance...ballet...hip hop...theatrics...cinematography....peace...happiness..sadness...humbleness and love in his music. He gave so much of himself and allowed us all to take part in his gift to the world. It has been said, that Michael was a perfectionist, and would practice for many hours day in and day
out. But we have also heard it been said that Michael was a lonely man. Do you remember the song, "The Man In The Mirror"?I wonder how many times Michael probably starred in front of the mirror and noticed the hurt and loneliness that he probably felt at times. Have you ever just sat in a room alone and just starred into a mirror for approximately a minute. If you look long enough your true inner feelings will reveal itself in your facial expressions, whether it is happiness or sadness. Sometimes you can give and give so much, that your physical and emotional body is just tired and just want to rest. Of course we all have the capability of greatness. But as with anything that we strive for in life there will be mounting pressures from
all angles whether it is good or bad. And with many as the old saying goes, "It get's lonely being at the top ". So the next time "you"look in the mirror...ask yourself do you need to "change your ways" and remember that as long as you have faith and belief in the creator that you will never
be alone. Mr. Michael Jackson, thank you for your gift and now you are able to rest...in peace!

Americans That Are Wrongly Being Forced Into Foreclosure

What you are about to read wasn't only shocking but appalling. Many everyday americans are being told that their home is either in a loan status default, preforeclosure or foreclosure status. We hear day in and day out the number of homes that are being reported to be going through foreclosure is increasing. What if I told you that those increasing foreclosure numbers could be possibly incorrect. Prime example....I know a couple that has been in their home for approximately eighteen months. This couple was informed that they were several months behind on their mortgage, due to unforeseen circumstances (job loss and wages) the couple constantly spoke with the bank about their circumstance. The couple was told that they were in a loan default status and that they were four months behind and foreclosure process was about to begin. The bank advised them to send in one payment and to send it via Western Union by the end of the month. This young couple told the representative that they would try and get the payment in by the end of the month, by the end of the month the young couple went to Western Union made the one payment that was requested of them...called the bank...spoke to the loan default counselor and gave the loan counselor the receipt code. Guess what, the loan counselor then proceeded to tell the couple that they were still four months behind and that they should have sent in two payments instead of one. The young couple wasn't only frustrated but distraught. They proceeded to ask the loan counselor how did the bank come up with them being four months behind and why were they told by another counselor that they could send in one payment. The loan counselor proceeded to tell them that they didn't show any documentation that they had spoken with a loan counselor the day the couple was being told to send the payment via Western Union. The couple then told the loan counselor who requested the extra payment, that they knew for a fact that they weren't four months behind and it wasn't their fault that the representative didn't document in their system that they had spoken with the couple. The couple then questioned the representative on the apparent discrepancies. Fortunately the couple went to their online banking and found out that "this bank" had received sixteen payment not including the Western Union payment for a total of seventeen payments that had been made. In reality this couple only owe for the month of May. When the couple found out they were very happy but also frustrated because of what all they have gone through. Once they found out that they shouldn't have been put in that foreclosure status they immediately called back the following day and requested to speak with a a supervisor who in return tried to state their case that the couple is four months behind...which infuriated the couple again...then the couple told "this bank", that they have positive proof and that they have bank documentation showing "this bank" was paid. The representative told them to fax over the information and they would have to review with management, but they would still have to make another payment. The couple then advised "this bank" that they were not late and in fact their payment isn't considered late until after the 15th of the month. The couple went to their personal bank to verify their findings which came out to be true. The couples' bank was able to print the findings and the couple has faxed over the information to "this bank". I am pretty sure that this couple will file a complaint with the BBB, contact their congressman and any and everybody else that will listen...including me! So now, I have to have ask the question...how many americans are being forced out of their homes legitimately, what if they just go along with what someone is telling them because they are so depressed about their situation that they don't realize that their may be a glimmer of hope which is actually and rightfully so in their favor. How many of these so called banks, mortgage companies and other predatory lenders are reporting inaccurate numbers to the government so that they can show on their books that they are facing a tough time but in reality and in actuality they are making extra money on these individuals, which in turn allows them to justify receiving "government bailout money". Get the picture....maybe it isn't such a bad idea for the american taxpayers to be shareholders of some of these companies as long as we can reap the dividends. But on the flip side, once the government actually do a full investigation of this type of travesty it may not be so good for these type of companies. Interesting, if I know of one couple this has happened to, I wonder how many other people are facing this type of situation.......Can You Say Bank Fraud!

Women Stop Abusing Yourself...Learn To Love Yourself

It is really sad to see the number of women that have fallen prey to abusive relationships, whether it is physical or emotional. I received an email from a young lady the other day, asking me to talk about this subject. I replied back and told her that I would. Without getting into a lot of the details about the email, I will tell you a little about what she has been going through. This young lady is in her early 30's and has a successful career. She was married for a brief time due only to the fact that she was in a physically abusive relationship. She stated that when she met her husband he was the kindest man you could ever be around. He was caring and supportive, always motivating her to be the best that she could be. He would send her roses on Valentine's Day, birthday or whenever. Then one day, she started noticing a change in his attitude. At first she thought maybe he was going through a stressful time on his job. Then he started to come home later than usual and then it proceeded to staying out until two and sometime three in the morning. Her second thought was maybe he was having an affair. She said after she had taken as much as she could take, she decided to ask him if he was having an affair. When she asked him, he told her that he wasn't and that he just had a lot on his mind. When she tried to talk to him about what was going on he then told her that what he was going through was his business and it wasn't anything that she could do about it. Well as the story went on he didn't change in fact it got worse. He would belittle her, playing the mind games and on and on, to the point that he became physically abusive. The problem for her was that she was still mentally stuck on the man that appeared to be the caring, loving and supportive man that she married. She began to blame herself, trying to always analyze which personality would present itself on a daily basis. Luckily, she finally sought help and start believing that there is a way out of this see saw of a marriage. Fortunate for her, but unfortunate for a lot of women that are killed daily only because they didn't love themselves enough. Women, if you are in a relationship that you are being abused...please learn to love yourself. Because if your husband or companion really loves you he wouldn't ever want to hurt you. He would still be the loving and respectful man that he should be. Always remember....Love isn't physically or emotionally abusive and it doesn't hurt.

Is President Obama Doing Too Much...Too Fast...Not Really!

Wow, the critics are at it again! The media and the politicians are now stating that President Obama is doing too much during his first 100 days. The skeptics believe that President Obama should just focus on one thing at a time and not try to make a lot of key decisions at this present moment. At first, I must say that I did think the President was moving on too many key issues a little too fast. Then I started to really think about what this president was up against. I also had a pretty "comical" view of the situation and also a realistic opinion of how and why this president was "moving at the speed of lightning". So let's begin with the comical view. First of all the president is a highly intelligent young man, who understands constitutional law, walks around with a blackberry, plays basketball and is able to multi-task as was shown during the time he was running for the presidency. In other words this man has a lot of energy. Remember when he was running for president of the United States , I used to wonder how he was able to do it and still stay so focused. In other words this man hasn't changed. What is so funny is that the senate and the house and everyone else in government is probably having a hard time keeping up with him. This maybe a little tiring for them. They are used to getting together and probably worrying about major decisions ever so often. Now to my realistic opinion, no other president in my lifetime has ever had to deal with so much at one time. Imagine a house is burning up on one part of town and then another fire starts at another home. Should you only put out one fire, let the other house burn down and everything else around it? The president is just putting out the fires that were neglected and unfortunately there was a lot of neglect. The president isn't doing anymore than his title commands of him. Maybe we aren't used to seeing a very active president in the office since Clinton and Reagan Every time I think about what all this president has to contend with all that I can say is, WOW! Maybe the next time that the president want to get together with the republicans and democrats to talk about decisions he want to make, don't have a meet and greet along with a "why can't we all get along "gathering. Get these politicians on the basketball court and talk politics then. I can guarantee you that they will either be too tired to keep up with him or either they will stand up to the challenge. Either way, I would love to be on the sidelines with my digital camera, popcorn and soda. That would truly be a "Kodak moment".

Keeping Your Eye On The Prize....Entrepreneurship

Okay, so much for the economic gloom and doom. Now is the time to think about creating your own economic success. Do you know that even during these times, you can actually start your own business. Seriously, this is a great time to start thinking about creating your own wealth. If you already have a business think about ways that you can increase your financial wealth. Let's talk about some of the ways that you can actually start your own business with little money. First of all, you have to start thinking positive. In the past I have read a lot of great motivational books that has been extremely beneficial and thought provoking. In other words, you have to change the way you think about creating wealth. Some great books that I have read were from people such as Napolean Hill, Tony Robbins and others. There is one book in particular that I read and I can't think of the title at this moment, but it was totally awesome. It was about a woman who was literally broke and she had 90 days to become a millionaire. Guess what, she did it! Now, after we have been motivated to make a difference in our lives, then let us now proceed to how we are going to start our own business. I read one book in particular many years ago and the author said that it is a good idea to start several little part time businesses that can generate income for you. Example, we have all heard about Ebay. Take a tour of Ebay, find out as much as you can about it. Go to the Sellers Central area, find out what is selling and what isn't. Ebay has a wealth of information to help someone launch their own business. Look through your house, you probably have items that you could sell on Ebay. Maybe you are able to go to the dollar stores and purchase a couple of things and sell on Ebay. In other words, you can start this business for under $25.00. Another business you could start, create your own website where you can sell your products or services on the internet. This is another business you could start for under $100.00. Have a monthly yard sale, after a while you could even sell items for others at your yard sale, this is also a business you could start for under $100.00. Millionaires have been made through Ebay, and you can definitely generate enough income from the other businesses that would allow you the type of financial freedom that you would like to have, even during these times. Why, because there will always be someone willing to buy what you are selling. If you get a chance go to www.entrepreneur.com and explore all of the possibilities. Remember each and every day that you are the navigator as it relates to your financial stability. Isn't it time that you become the CEO of your own finances. Now is the time...try it...you might like it.

What Does The Chimpanzee Have To Do With The Stimulus Bill

Approximately two weeks ago, an editorial cartoonist for a New York publication depicted a full illustration of a chimpanzee being shot by police officers and the officers stating that basically that was the end of the stimulus bill. If you haven't seen the cartoon, check it out! While you are reviewing this cartoon, just take 10 minutes and write down everything that you see or how does it make you feel when you look at this cartoon illustration. When I first reviewed it, I definitely had mixed feelings, the first being racist. Secondly insensitive and third...stupid! For the past week I have listened to the different cable news media networks talk about this cartoon editorial. One evening I was listening to Lou Dobbs with CNN interviewing Al Sharpton. Al Sharpton gave his views about how this editorial wasn't good and how he felt that the news organization should do a better job as it relates to it's obligation to the community. You could easily tell that they had different viewpoints in how they depicted the cartoon and how to handle the situation as it relates to the news organization. But it was definitely known from both that this wasn't done in "good taste". When an artist creates something, you have to understand his mindset at the time. I would have loved to had the opportunity to ask this artist, "What were you thinking about"? Another question, "What does the chimpanzee have anything to do with the "Stimulus Bill "and "Why did you use police officers in this cartoon"? If you happen to be an african american, you are probably used to the several stereotypes that have been depicted in this illustration. If you happen to be an animal lover, this is definitely not a laughing matter. If you are a police officer, this definitely doesn't show your profession in a good way. I guess that since so many news print organizations are either filing for bankruptcy protection or closing it's doors for good those that are left will every now and then do something to get that "spike" in news stand sales. Should we hold these artists more accountable who happen to be employed by these news organizations or these news organizations as a whole, that allow these types of editorial depictions? Oh, I almost forgot...Freedom of Speech and Freedom Of The Press, these news organizations do have their rights. But I have always truly believed that there is always a price of some sort for freedom. An artists work lives forever, a writers work live forever. That is why it is always important to think about what you are doing before you do it and understand the consequences of the decisions that you make...because it could impact you for a lifetime!