Gone But Not Forgotten-Princess Diana

          She is gone but not forgotten, the fair princess; Lady Diana Spencer.  It has been 11 years since her death in a car accident in Paris. Her youth, her beauty, her energy has been frozen in time through the photos we view.  So much has happened since that time.  Her beloved boys have grown up, her ex-husband Prince Charles has remarried Diana’s nemesis, the world has continued to move onward. 

           Still, no one has ever been able to take Diana’s place of purchase in the hearts of the public who loved her so.  She who was able to accomplish so much in so little time here on the Earth.  Can you imagine how much more she would have been able to do in a world full of hurts because of her ability to leverage her legacy?  She set a great role model with the work that she did for charities…that does not have to end.  People can follow her example and achieve much in the world, through donating time and money to those in need.  So we remember her today…full of smiles, and a heart that bent towards those in need, those who suffered, and those who were meant to overcome.  How can you be a light in the world?

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Christina Applegate & Robin Roberts Interview

       We all heard the announcement a few weeks ago about Christina Applegate having breast cancer.  She is going to be doing an interview with Robin Roberts tuesday morning, from Good Morning America, and i think that that will be very interesting.  I was hearing in the media people advising her to use her breast cancer for good.  I will be very interested to hear her interpretation of recent events in her life.  Already tonight, i read a report that Christina is declaring herself cancer free. 

          I don’t know what that means…except maybe through the surgery maybe the doctors believe that they were able to remove the cancer cells or tumor…but…for the most part…i don’t think too many doctors would declare someone cancer free after doing surgery…because most doctors believe that when surgery is done…often cancer cells can be spread through the surgery itself…unless maybe the tumor was self contained.

        In any case, we wish Christina well…and with her popularity…she CAN bring additional attention, if and when she chooses to do that, to a very important issue.   Some people are more private about such things…and it is her right to be private if that is what she decides.  I think it was Suzanne Somers who wrote an open letter to her, said for Christina to use her cancer diagnosis to learn and grow.  I think she meant well…she was advising her to take her time and make informed decisions rather than just jump into treatment.   The open letter that Suzanne wrote at first kind of came across presumptious to me…but then i reread it and i believe she was just trying to reach out to her and reassure her. 

          Ultimately, many people have advice…but, Christina will discover her own way of coping and dealing with her health issues before she takes on the larger issue of being a leader or role model; if she chooses to do that.   However, first and foremost…Christina’s responsibility is to take care of herself.  🙂  Can’t wait to see the interview!  See also:  https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/good-morning-america-interview-with-christina-applegate/  or possibly related topics on breast cancer  https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/triple-negative-breast-cancer/ or, https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/women-are-dying-for-size-of-level-d-when-it-comes-to-breasts/

Read Full Post »

$14 Million Dollar Twins-Cover People and Impact Charity!

       The photo images of the twin children recently born to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are being sold for a large sum of money to be put on the cover of People magazine, as well as, Hello magazine in London; the money will go for charity to the Jolie-Pitt foundation.  The amount is rumored to be around $14 million dollars for the rights to the photos. 

        Both Angelina and Brad have set a precedence of using the money gained from the media for photographing their children; to be used for good, as far as, harnassing the intense competition of the media to get those first pictures.  The large sums of money will go a long way to continue funding the humanitarian and good will charities that they both support around the world.

         Tonight, Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 at 7 pm, eastern time there will be a release of one of the photos on http://www.people.com .  Then the release of the newstand version of People magazine will be available on Monday, August 4th. 

          The twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline were born July 12th in Nice, France.  Imagine the impact that the children of this family will have, in years to come, with the financial backing, of their parent’s combined large bank accounts and their dedicated role modeling of giving, along with the social and moral training in the area of giving, to those in need around the world.  I mean, they are already giving…they just don’t know it yet!  It is a legacy that few are priviledged to have, and even fewer are apt to enact; but, it is a legacy worthy of example.

Read Full Post »

Cancer Patient Bonding

       There is something special and unique about the bonding that takes place when people bond through their shared experiences.  Something that i noticed when my parents each went through their cancer diagnosis and treatment sessions…intense bonding with fellow cancer patients and their families.  That bond in those relationships was a lifeline at times.  The fear of the unknown, the medical traumas, the difficult side effects, the kindness of strangers it all blended to remind us that we were not in the situation alone.

         During hospital stays, during chemo treatments, and doctor appointments; my parents and other patients would share things about their families, about their experiences, their struggles, medical information, tips on how to overcome nausea, or how to cope with some of the side effects of the treatments.   Some patients were alone…they had no family or else their family members lived in distant places.  We would adopt them and visiting and trying to support when we could.   It was all very intense. 

        In what amounts to a, down in the trenches, fight for their lives; cancer patients bond in very intense ways.  When fellow patients would struggle…my parents would ask for prayer for them, from us.  We are blessed with a strong family unit.  We would honor the request …knowing that if we needed the favor returned…it would be given automatically by those same cancer patient friends and their families.   We were all in a fraternity; that none of us wanted to be in….but still, we were in it together.

       The losses hit hard.  The emotions were so deep for my parents and for our family.  Each loss, it was understood, could have been ours as well; but for the grace of God.  Each milestone was celebrated.  Waiting for the results of testing was, and is, filled with anxiety and fear.  It is no less worrisome to hear of others around the world who struggle with the same issues.  http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcinthenews.htm

Read Full Post »

Tearing Down of Miley Cyrus

       For the last few months…the party girls of the celebrity world have been toning it down.  When everything was so very out of control on the scandal sheets, regarding  Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton and other’s; the papers started focussing on those with the good girl, role model image. 

         It seemed that they couldn’t wait to build them up; and, slyly they WONDERED IF MILEY CYRUS, and others like her, wouldn’t also soon be on the same path to self destruction.  Their headlines screamed a false concern about the future of those in the limelight; would they too end up on drugs/alcohol/addicted to sex, and the partying lifestyle?  Please, it is just a ploy to sell newspapers!

       Then last year, when Jaime Lynn Spears announced her pre-marital pregnancy…it was almost with glee, that they had another poster girl to shine the light on.  Now that Jaime Lynn has pulled back out of the glare of the press…Miley Cyrus has been moved to the front of the line for the tick tock of the self- destruction time bomb that the tabloid rags have been trying to promote.

       Last week, there were some photos put online that show Miley in her underwear.  She has apologized for those “inappropriate photos”.  Then today, there were some pictures taken by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, for the equally famous magazine Vanity Fair, which Miley says, she thought were going to be “artistic” shots.  Even if they would have been purely “artistic” shots….why should a 15 year old be allowed to put it out there for public viewing?  Bad decision…someone should have put an end to the idea before it became reality.  Teens don’t always want to hear advice about what is right and wrong…but, still someone should have pointed out that this was a really, really, bad idea!

         Hello, where were her advisors, the ones from her family or from her show, to guide and protect a barely 15 year old girl from making such a mistake?  Was there no contract that gave her creative control over which pictures would be used; thereby, saving her from what she has allegedly described as “embarassment” over these latest pictures?  I have only seen one…and that picture shows her wrapped in a sheet with a bare back.  If a regular person took this kind of “artistic” shots…because of her age…it could be considered objectionable or suspicious by law enforcement.

        Who in their right mind would promote a 15 year old girl in such photos for a magazine?  What kind of message is that sending?  I mean come on…”artistic” is one thing…but, this is not an adult woman.  I think that there are some adults involved here who could have used better judgement. 

       I know that Miley Cyrus has been upfront about her faith guiding her footsteps. These types of decisions will not only hurt her professionally, but, it can also damage her testimony as a Christian.   No, she is not perfect…none of us are.  We expect her to make mistakes as she grows up just like the rest of us have; however, eyes are watching her.

        However, because she is NOT an adult…it would be wise if her management would make sure that she is better protected from those in the industry who would take advantage of her fame. If her advisors put their stamp of approval on this project…then maybe they need replacing.    After all, they allegedly allowed her to be put in this position by making an error in judgement regarding these photos.

Read Full Post »

Hatred Is A Sickness

       Hatred is a sickness…it needs tending.  To maintain a good solid hatred, a person has to work at it.  It needs constant time and attention.  It starts to consume a person’s thoughts day and night.  It is destructive.  Hatred can start from a misunderstanding, from hurtful words or actions, it can start from the simplest thing.  But, to build to a point where it starts to destroy…someone really has to invest themselves into it.

        It is sad…but hatred can actually be contagious.  Hatred has claimed another soul…news reports today tell of a young man consumed with hatred.  He has been nurting a hatred for people different from himself allegedly.  The reasons why are on video…to be learned by the public later.   He lives in Chesterfield, South Carolina.   I don’t want to name him…as i think by doing so, sometimes it encourages others who think that they will become famous by following in the footsteps of others who seek to destroy.  That needs to stop. 

        This young man’s parents turned him in to the police.  That had to be one of the most difficult things they have had to do in their lives.  I admire their courage…we need to pray for them. He is still their son.  As a parent we dont have to understand or agree with the things our children do…but we still have to love them and be there for them.   Unfortunately, their son had ordered some ammonium nitrate (10 lbs of it).   The parents had been notified by the Postal Service of an impending delivery and they called the police when they realized what he had done.

         It was then discovered that the young man had a journal where he documented his hatred of others for the last year.  This young man seemed to perform successfully in school and was one of the school’s top students.  He has not been in serious trouble before.  How could this hatred have been bubbling under the surface, without anyone knowing it existed?  Or is there more to the story?  It will unfold in time.

         It seems the young man may have made maps of his school that he intended to blow up.  The young man made a video to be played after his “death”.  He planned for it to be shown after the destruction of his school by his bomb attack.   It has been reported that he had plans to create several bombs; and, he was planning on styling his “attack” to be modeled somewhat after those who implemented the Columbine High School murders in Colorado nine years ago…the anniversary of that horror will be observed this coming sunday.  How close were we to another such national tramatic school attack?  There was no time frame in the young man’s journal…but the nitrate was being delivered just before the anniverary of Columbine High School shootings.  Coincidence…probably not when he already said in his journal that he admired the shooters from the Columbine attack.

          I think the parents of this young man have potentially saved many lives by doing the right (and difficult) thing by contacting the authorities.  Certainly, all of the details are not yet known…the investigation has just begun. 

          However, I am glad that this time, hatred was stopped in it’s tracks.  I am sorry for the parents of the young man.  I am sad at the waste of this young man’s life…as he will most certainly be spending some time behind bars or institutionalized.  However, I am also glad that there is not another “role model” of hatred to be held up and admired by others who are consumed with the need to hate, to destroy and to grab their 15 minutes of “fame” in the media, by trying to kill as many innocent lives as they can with their violence.

Read Full Post »

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.

          

          

Read Full Post »

Robin Rules the Runway

        Robin Roberts from Good Morning America was a model today on GMA; she ruled the runway!  She took her place in the model line up and modeled a clothing line.  She is, as always, beautiful.  She did the runway without a wig.  She has been battling breast cancer for many months. 

        She said she did the show for all of those who are facing challenges.  She decided to do it without her wig because, that is who she is at the moment and she is embracing it.  As much as she has been a role model for others; she has been touched, i believe, herself by the stories of others and she shows a sense of amazement at the amount of support that she has been getting.  She is loved by many. 

        Robin always looks good…but, i do think they could have found a more flattering style of dress for her to wear.  She has a fabulous figure and she has gorgeous bone structure as well as a beautiful face; so, even though the color of the dress was a good choice for her…the style seemed too boxy in the shoulders or something.  Picky maybe, but you know…her courage and her grace always shines through no matter what she does or where she goes or what she wears!    Robin Rules the Runway!  

        

Read Full Post »