Business Friends Help Kids With Cancer And Their Families

 

 

 

Business Friends Help Kids With Cancer And Their Families Feb 16th, 2011 by Rainy Friends Like Us is a wonderful nonprofit that reaches out to families of children who have been diagnosed with cancer. What they do for families goes over and above just sending those children a cuddly bear to hold when they are scared, lonely and needing something to cling to while they go through treatment for a disease that they don’t understand; even though, Friends Like Us does do that too.

The extra mile is what this organization does provide. They often listen to a parent, of a young cancer patient, express their fears, anxieties and questions about what to expect when cancer hits their family. Mark and Deloris Bailey, founders of the organization know what it is like as they have been in that position when their son was diagnosed and treated for cancer. So they created Friends Like Us to meet the needs of young cancer patients by providing them with a chemo bear.

This chemo bear comes with a medical bag which has tools that doctors and nurses can use to help explain treatments and procedures that the young child may be having to go through. It is a wonderful tool. This chemo bear even may have a port just like the child and can have it removed in a bear clinic when the child has his or her port removed. In the meantime, the bear can be of service when the child is at it most vulnerable going through tests or long lonely nights in the hospital.

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Bleeding Green-Bailout Madness?

        How many of you have ever had knowledge of an emergency situation where someone is bleeding profusely?  Emergency training teaches to apply pressure; or, to use a tourniquiet to temporarily stop the blood loss.  It is no different with our financial crisis; yet, apparently in a move that goes against common sense…we are bleeding green…sending more and more money to problematic areas that are already bleeding out.

           What we need is a check and balance here…someone to triage…find out who we can afford to let go on to their great reward.  We can’t save everyone here financially speaking.  So, if we are going to attempt to try to turn the tide with this financial mess…we need to find the most effective way to pump money back into the economy in a way that is going to repair the situation.  Not prolong the agony.  Those companies that would abuse the help provided them should be held accountable.  The governmental leaders who are in charge should be held accountable if they fail to serve honorably; by not keeping track of the ebb and flow of the bailout plan.  It should be considered a crime to fail at accounting for each and every dime of the bailout money that does not produce a positive outcome on the economy.  It would challenge those who benefit from the rescue plan to strictly monitor the use of such money entrusted to them!

         Americans are angry about this whole situation.  They are struggling and there is no safety net waiting for them when they fail financially…so, their expectations of our leaders who are guiding the ship in regards to the bailout, are high.  Those expectations are not currently being met…and Americans have had their fill of leaders and organizations who abuse their power and influence over our society.  The impact of such irresponsible behavior is what has brought us to this place and time in history; it is unacceptable.

         Allegedly, reports have surfaced, twice now, on AIG as having pricey get-to-gethers since they have come knocking on the government’s door begging for bailouts to keep them from filing for a $150 billion dollar bankruptcy.  This is seen by many as an excessive fly- in- your- face disregard for the sacrifices that tax payers are taking on, by dolling out the $40 billion dollars that the treasury has set aside to help put AIG back in black.

          What is madness is that this kind of behavior seems to go without consequences except to the country as a whole.  We are drowning in poor choices, in excesses that failing business expect others to dig them out of.  If a small business owner took on that kind of attitude…there would be nothing but financial ruin in their future…not a reward of an all expense paid trip to a spa on the taxpayers!

           The average American is drowning as well.  There are no individual life rings being tossed to the middle class taxpayer.  We are being hit from all sides by the economy, taxation, educational funding, rising cost of living bills, home heating costs, gasoline, medical costs; and still, more and more people are loosing their jobs or their investments.  Home foreclosure is at an all time high.

           How in the world are taxpayers going to pay more to bailout anyone when they are barely keeping afloat themselves with the drain on their incomes?  If people don’t have jobs, they can’t pay taxes.  Common sense dictates that we examine closely where all of this bailout money is coming from; and, limit those who are benefitting from the rescue money. If some business or organization is not being fiscally responsible they should not then be given a blank check to continue the party.  

        This is not a free for all…We need someone in a position to regulate the flow of green; apply some pressure.  We are living in an unprecedented time of national debt…it just makes sense to be watching our bottom line.  There is nothing wrong with taking a little time to evaluate the situation and make an informed decision about the best way to tackle this mess.   Remember Russia and the collapse of their union?  Are we looking to make history as the next nation to collapse from the inside out?

          

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Leadership And It’s Connection To Success or Failure

      I have been thinking about leadership alot lately and it’s direct connection to success or failure.  Leadership whether it is in government, business, organizations, religions, education or, in personal relationships is very important.  Not everyone can be an effective leader.  There are more followers than leaders; so it is extremely important to follow the right person. 

       Whether a leader is skilled in certain areas determines how successful his/her leadership is.  Leading is not for the fainthearted; you can’t please everyone or, be their friend.  Some of the decisions a good leader has to make are extremely unpopular.  You can have productive relationships though, that are built out of respect, authority, compassion and hard work.  Those who are under your leadership have to know that you are informed and that you respect & understand their sacrifice to get the job done. 

        A good leader knows how to inspire, how to instruct, how to encourage, and how to redirect someone who is misguided, ill informed, has a poor work ethic or is saturated in a poor attitude.  A good leader knows when to use incentives and when praise or recognition will be more effective. 

        I know our country is in the midst of some deep and difficult issues.  Positive and productive leadership has never been more important.  A good leader also recognizes when they are out of their league and seeks a higher counsel…someone who is an expert in the area of concern.  I hope that those who are taking the reins of government leadership in our country are willing to lead with proper education and guidance… it is not a failure to admit that you don’t know all of the answers; it is a failure to not be willing to be educated in those areas.  We have much to accomplish and overcome in a short period of time.

        There is a great new book out by Lee Iacocca on leadership called, Where Have All Of The Leaders Gone?  I recommend reading this one.  This book gives some great advice on leading.  It also gives a bit of background information on the automotive business. 

         With the financial crisis hitting our country and the obviously failing auto industry…Lee’s book is timely.  I suggest that the new President elect Barack Obama consult with Mr. Iacocca on any proposed government bailout loan of the auto industry.  There has been some criticism about President Bush’s alleged lack of response to the auto industry’s struggles.  Now, if the American auto industry fails to succeed…we all will suffer the consequences.  I think that we already have been …but, it is only going to get worse without addressing the issue in a real purposeful way.  They are many businesses and employees who will be affected in a trickle down kind of action if and when the auto industry hits the roadblocks. 

        It would be wise to remember that whenever one major industry fails it generally has a domino effect on those sub-supportive businesses that supply the chain of industry.  We need to figure out some answers before we are all out of jobs.  We must demand competent leadership and hold them to a higher moral & ethical standard of conduct.  We are tired of those in business and industry who are content to take the money at the top and move on when they get their rewards…not caring about the outcome for those under their leadership.  Enough of the high salary CEO’s (or politicians) who don’t look long-term at the consequences of their decisions and their actions.  Americans must demand success in our leaders because the potential impact of failure is unacceptable!

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Child Support & Elder Care- They Both Are Important

        This week charities received some press time when it was revealed that Leona Helmsley left a whole lot of money for her dog, Trouble, and charities that take care of dogs.   Out of the billions of dollars that Leona left behind…most of it will go to charitable organizations.  That got me to thinking, while animals are important; and, organizations that work towards protecting them and providing them with care are wonderful…hopefully, some of that money could be used towards charities that do the same types of services for human beings. 

       There really are some great organizations and non-profits out there who really try to make a difference.  I love it when someone creates one when their hearts and minds get touched by an experience in their lives or the lives of someone that they care about.

         Today i read about another one that i think sounds wonderful and hopefully, other individuals will be inspired to create charities when they feel moved to do so.  The one i read about today was called, Kid One Transport.  Their website is:  http://www.kidone.org/index.php 

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Triple Negative Breast Cancer

      Today on Good Morning America, Maalak Compton-Rock was on speaking about triple negative breast cancer and the foundation that was begun by a group of women who were all affected by their friend who was afflicted with the disease.

       There is a lack of knowlege about this disease. It is a breast cancer that is resistant to the typical courses of treatment that is recommended for breast cancer.  It is important to create an awareness so that those affected by this type of cancer don’t waste critical amounts of time treating their cancer ineffectually, thereby decreasing their chances of survival.  Many have the disease but, are unaware; and, could be better informed so that treatment could be tailor made to improve their success. This is the first time that i have heard of triple negative breast cancer and even then, i wasn’t clear on what i heard. 

         In fact, i believe that Robin Roberts made a casual remark that this is the type of cancer that she is dealing with; but, she made the comment in such a casual way that i am not sure. 

          Robin is a woman that goes out of her way not to draw attention to herself; but, she has made concessions in some areas that are important to her, such as her battle against cancer and her work on the rebuilding on communities that were devastated by hurricane Katrina.  The allowances she has made are only in her quest to help draw attention to the issues at hand…not to herself.

          Malaak does many good and charitable works.  She is the beautiful wife of Chris Rock and together they are proactive in their charity fundraising and community work.  She is passionate about the work she does and is dedicated to giving back.  If you go to Malaak’s website at :  www.angelrockproject.com/ you will find many worthy non-profit organizations to help support.  They not only give money, but time and attention as well; it is an inspiration to us all to do the same.

          In regards to the triple negative breast cancer awareness…her website gives access to the website for the foundation that was created in honor of her friend Nancy Block-Zenna.  It was Nancy’s desire that a cure be found so that others did not suffer as she herself suffered from this disease.  From her mouth to God’s ears.  The foundation can be found at:  www.tnbcfoundation.org.  Thank you Good Morning America, Robin Roberts and Malaak Compton-Rock and all of those doing research and healing in these areas; God bless you and your work.         Update:  see this interesting possibly related information https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/women-are-dying-for-size-of-level-d-when-it-comes-to-breasts/   Please note:  I have moved my blog to: http://www.writewhereyouareblog.com  Please addd me to your RSS feed.  Thanks!

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A Good Cause

         It’s a good cause; if i have heard that phrase once, i have heard it a million times.  How do you know if a cause is good enough to support.  Hmmmmmmmmm…you really dont.  🙂  You have to trust your own instincts.   How is that for clarity? 

         With the economy being so depressed and everyone feeling the pinch…schools, churches, communities, and organizations are pulling out all the stops when it comes to fundraising.

          Every young child that comes to get you to purchase a non-essential item to help fund a band booster program,  scouts needing to sell more and more items each year to provide a positive influence on the girls , communities trying to fund activity centers to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble, the groups fighting a debilitating illness or disease; the list goes on and on, and the needs of each group or individual are no less important than the one before them.

         What it really comes down to is, that most of these causes are good ones, it is true.  So, how do you decide where to throw your own dwindling funds?  Personally, i have to make a judgement call; which cause most affects those that i care about? 

          Often, i have to remind myself that those causes don’t just need MONEY; they volunteers, organizers, fundraisers, problem solvers etc.  So, if lack of money is an issue…maybe there is another way you can support the “Good Cause”.  Don’t just file the request in the back of your to do list…get creative if the cause pulls at your heart strings; make a commitment…find another way to “donate to the cause” whatever that cause may be!

       

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Life Flying By

        I remember as a teenager being told by my “elders” that the older  I would get, the faster it would seem like “Life was Flying By”.  Well, i hate to admit it but they were right.

        It seems like things are just moving so fast and there is so little time that it is a little bit creepy.  Things that are big news items one day, are not even remembered the next day because there are so many other items that are bigger, better, splashier and more exploitable each and every, new day.

         The other day i wrote here about the spy satellite with the poisionous gas that is about to enter the earth’s atmophere.  The US military plans to shoot it down this week.  They were waiting for the space shuttle to land before attempting to eliminate the threat that the satellite poses to the earth’s population. 

          The shuttle is scheduled to land tomorrow.  This is good, they will not be in firing range.  What i can’t believe is that no one is hyping the threats posed from the satellite.  No, no…the news is covered in things like Lindsey Lohan’s re-creation of a photo shoot that Marilyn Monroe shot way back in the 60’s.  Who could get through the day without having that little morsel pasted into their memory banks?

          Scandal is the name of the game.  Lord knows, if the people of earth could be in danger from the satellite….well…they must be up-to-date on the latest and greatest scandal in the news such as which particular baseball hero of the day used steriods or not, or whether Britney Spear’s dad is out on the partying circuit with Britney’s hangers on crowd, or perhaps, if a famous boxer really does dress up in fish net stockings in his private time!  These are important issues of today are they not?

          I mean who needs to know if there is some unknown government official who could be passing inspections of meat that goes into our school children’s school lunch programs, or the whole reason Fidel Castro is giving up his historical rein of power in Cuba, or how to put an end to all of these public, mass shootings, or why the economy in the US is on the verge of collapse between the mortgage nightmares…the high cost of gas and oil…the bondage of individuals and families who are ensared in a credit card debt web that they will never get out of without filing for bankruptsy…or, how to stop the exporting of jobs to other countries who can afford to pay their workers much less than US employees? 

           We each are “gifted” with such a short time here on earth that we really have to make the most of each and every day.  There is a constant demand for our attention with radio, television, newspapers and cell phones and computers…there isn’t a moment to just stop and realize how much time is wasted on things that really have no major importance.

           For each scandal that comes and goes…yes, the consequences are important.  To the people that it directly involves. 

          We have become a nation of observers of other people’s pain and misery.  When did it become a spectator sport?  If we invest time and energy to watch it…are we not morally challenged to do something about those very situations?  At the very least to pray or send good thoughts and wishes in those directions?

          Every moment of everyday…there are tragedies happening around us both in big and small ways.  There are wars, there are diseases, there are accidents, there are injustices, there are crimes of violence passed among our communities, deaths, and the list goes on.  Let us challenge ourselves not to get caught up in things that we can do nothing about. 

         If we were to focus our time and attention on reaching out to those around us and make a choice to improve our little corners of the world and make it a better place for those we meet everyday maybe “life wouldn’t fly by” so fast. 

          Helping those struggling around us often doesn’t take boat loads of money…sometimes it just takes a listening ear, or a sacrifice of a little of our time, or energy. 

           If we can wrap our minds around the concept of “spending time”/ in other words, using up what time we have alloted to us in our lives; maybe there would be a whole lot less people willing to “waste time” doing things that are un-important; or worse, damaging to ourselves and to the others around us. 

           We each have valuable talents and skills.  It is easy to get caught up in feeling depressed,sad, lost, lonely, or angry.  All of those emotions are negative and they snowball into negative actions.  Refocus and dig deep to find one positive thing to put your energy into. 

            Today it is easier than ever to get involved in positive things.  We can connect to others easily.  Find a group or organization to use what talents or skills you have.   Find a need and fill it, look for opportunities.   Be a role model to those around you.  Get involved in positive things and you will be amazed at how much happier you are.

          

          

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Drinking While Pregnant

I am mad!  Maybe more than a little, in fact.  I read an article on the net that concerns a review on studies of binge drinking.  The article does not have a byline.    A reader reading this article,  does not know who wrote the article; and that is a shame, because it perpetuates a damaging myth!  It would be nice to know who wrote it, because then they could be educated.

It states that people know drinking a large amount of alcohol often, during pregnancy, is known to cause health problems and learning disabilities for the child.

However, it also says that the review doesn’t clearly show that occasional, binge drinking while pregnant is problematic.  It says that more studies are needed!  Please!!!

Later in the article, it says something to the effect that, until we have more scientific “proof”, women who occasionally binge drink while pregnant should not worry over much.  That is CRAZY TALK!   See this:  http://www.nofas.org/.

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