More Lessons About Being Attunded to Your Body

On this day I have an wowser of an ow.  I was pushing my hand cart. There was a slight incline out of the store. All of the sudden my back let's out a scream. Never happened before. Never want pull a muscle again. 

I was suspended between a sharp pain and the need to get home. I'm doing the body inventory as cars whip past me. Decisions have to be made quickly.

I can stand? Yes.
I can walk? Yes.
Does it hurt? Oh yes.

There is a meditation technique where you acknowledge the pain but you don't feed into it. Slow deliberate steps. Gentle breathing out. Outlining where the pain is and isn't. Sending loving kindness to the areas that hurt and not cussing myself out that I tried to push too much stuff.

Walking actually helps reduce the pain but I'm not a big fan of pain in the first place.

So here I am. Home. In a chair trying to figure out my next move.

Last night I had old food in the fridge which is more like a chiller but not really. I had leftovers that should have been tossed.

No, it looks nothing like this. I'd love it if it did.

I ate them.

From midnight to 4:33 a.m. I regretted it deeply.

Only I made fast deliberate steps to the bathroom. Letting go at both ends. Trying to figure out what I did to get into this space. I got my answer around 2:30ish when I remembered that I need to pay more attention to my doubts.

Acceptance.

Not good at that either but getting better. I don't ask Spirit to take it away from me any longer. I just want to survive it so I don't do it again.

Trash bags are standing by.

Break the Freaking Mold - Colorlines Video

As some of you know, I am an advocate for alternative and creative video content. I do not care if you want to monetize or not, show me something other than an insulting dumb azz scripted corporate reality shows.

Women need to be visible. Non-hostile white men need to be visible. Fat people that like to dance need to be visible.

Which is why I will not watch. mainstream TV. My television has been dark for five years and counting. Only in the case of a national calamity will I turn it on again.

I subscribe to educational channels, old people channels, teenagers, food shows, tech shows, and what ever I might be interested in that day. Don't box me in and don't try to peg me demographically.

I'm just as likely to was 60 Seconds Adventures in Astronomy as I am to relax watching the Galaxy Trio.

I'm not alone in this mind set. Okay, perhaps watching the Galaxy Trio is for a select population.




Jay Smooth point out on Twitter this Colorlines video from some of the top folks on YouTube.They just so happen to be people of color.

Should you happen to hear some chuckle-head cackle that we are in a post-racial society and that they are color blind please point their eyeball to this video. Because these folks will tell them that they get deeply offensive comments no matter what they are talking about.

That they don't get the new tech give-a-ways to share with their viewers and they have a lot of viewers. Probably don't get the invites to plain vanilla stuff either. 

It is a lament that I have heard from African American parenting bloggers who get totally ignored by  the marketing world. Followed by food bloggers of color, tech bloggers and probably there is a version for the audio podcasters as well.

Asian, Latino/Latina and African Americans creators do not fit the current mold of completion acceptance. I have a feeling ageism creeps into the mix as well; in both directions.

So let's break the freaking mold.

Feels Good and Is Good for You I'm Told

I can't take credit for this one cuz I can't design worth a dang.  I don't have this specific body part but I'm a frugal kinda gal. Save a penny, save a dollar I say.

Via Mike Allgood's Google Plus Page

 I saw this on Google+ and I support this message. I'm not running for election, just another supporter for erections and/or orgasms.

Well, truthfully I would be more partial to orgasms.  Anyway, in other news I can sympathize with this blog post . Intriguing but truly NSFW post on the demotion of the 2nd head.

The Minstrel Show - Minstrel 101

So, in my exploration of how this video, Give Us Your Cash, a racist, sexist low class statement about a politician qualifications came into being? It is too easy to go with the usual answers.

You have to look at the American minstrel heritage to get a better understanding. This is a look at the structure of the performances.


It was a free for all until a structured theatrical format was created. Many of the sources that I read cite E.P. Christy's The Christy Minstrels as the first group that developed the framework of the performances.

One of the performers, G.W. Moore, wrote a book about his theatrical experiences, knowledge of the Ethiopian people and some of the routines of the day. The book is called Bones: his anecdotes and goaks [by] G.W. Moore, the original Christy Minstrel. I accessed the book at the Hathi Trust Digital Library. The book is in the public domain.

I'll let Mr. Moore help you get acclimated with the language of the performance and his opinion on the linguistical skills of the black population:

The black population of the United States, are quite
different from the white, in the way they pronounce the
English language, and also in their actions. I have seldom
heard a negro say yes or no direct; for instance, if you ask a
darkey to have a glass of brandy, (and he wanted it) he
would say, " Pass it 'long," "Han em ober," or "Tote dat
dis wa," but not " yes." Again, should he not want the
brandy, he would say, "Ho's yu torkin tu ? dun did kum
fulin yor time roun dis chile wid dat stuff," bwdt seldom "no."

Imagine that you are in a dark theater. The curtain goes up and you are transported to the 1800s.

Processional Entrance

The performers enter and present themselves to the audience, usually by music and dance. They are arraigned in a semi-circle facing the audience. Mr. Moore elucidates:

As far as I have been able to judge, I think that all the Ethiopian race are full of music. I knew a darkey who was Boots at the
Eagle Hotel, Buffalo, every time he used to sit down to his
meals, and before eating, he would sing—
Dar's music in de frien pan,
Dar's music in de kittel,
Dar's music in de nife an fork,
Wen I'm gwine to ete de wittel.
Brandi wil be brandi,
Anihow yu mix it;
Nigger wil be nigger,
Anihow yu fix it.

Basically you have white men in costume, black face make-up and wigs that are controlled by Mr. Interlocutor.

Mr. Interlocutor:

The Interlocutor was the medium/interpreter that communicated with the performers. Most of the time the interlocutor was also in black face make-up but not always. In this segment of the show the Interlocutor would set up the jokes of the day, songs and jabs. There would be two men, Mr. Tambo on the left and Mr. Bones on the right would respond to the questions using stereotyped expressions to float the joke.

From our text of the day comes an example of a routine that Mr. Tambo and Mr. Bones might share with the audience:

A HEAVY BLOW.
Sam. Sa, Bones, did yu here de news ? "We had de gratest blo doun our wa.
Bones. "Wat a kurry kane ?
S. Yes, wun ob dem kurricanes kum doun, and jus blow eberyting in de vilage hi, lo, Jack, an de game, it blow ebery house up, didn't lebe wun, blow ebery house up but
mine.
B. But yors ! how wus it yure house wusnt blone up ?
S. We had a heaby morgage on it, dat kep it doun.
B. Oh, we had wun ob dem in our vilage.
S. Wat, a blo ?
B. No, we had a firei
S. Afire?
B. Yes, red hot; jus kum in de vilage in de nite, an burn ebery house doun; den it kum in mi house, went up in de sellar, doun in de garret, all ober de furnitur, an neber
spilt a ting.
S. (astonished) Neber spilt a ting ?
B. No, we sabe eberyting in de house but de pianner.
S. Whi coodn't yu sabe de pianner.
B. Bekase de engines coodn't pla on de pianner.

Olio or Specialty Acts

Next, the Interlocutor introduced specialty acts that had longer skits, dance numbers or songs or a combination. This is and example by Cotton and Chick Watts:



The specialty act could be a parody of a play, an extended dance number or what ever the talent could provide on that particular night. Often included in the specialty act was a "stump" speech by a political character who mangled proper English.

The Afterpiece:

This could be a riff on a opera, the musical joy and rapture of being on a southern plantation or an extended walk-around.

According to Mr. Moore, Blacks are a fearful sort of being. I don't want to invoke his wrath at being quoted out of context so I'm going to make sure he has his final say:

I think I have explained enough about the blacks, that
you can appreciate the stories and eccentricities I shall
introduce; and I wish it to be distinctly understood,
that, in all things I may bring forward, no offence is meant
towards those who may happen to be of a different colour to
myself; as I have travelled in many parts of the globe, I beg
most respectfully to state, that I never look upon a man from
what place he comes from, but from the place he is worthy
of, believing He who made the white, also made the black,
and that they will stand the same chance as myself in the
world to come; therefore, all that I introduce will be for
your amusement, and trust the same will meet with your
approbation.

Social Media 1800s Style

I have been using the theater a visual example but minstrel performances were not restricted to just indoors. They certainly would have been included in advertising, medicine shows, traveling independent performers, bars and other public performance spaces.

Sheet music would have been the mp3 player of the day. To be historically accurate there were some black folks selling songs and jokes on the down low to white performers. There were some who snuck on the stage violating state law against blacks and white mixing.

Minstrel shows were entertainment productions with a long lasting cultural impact. The stereotypes, ignorance and prejudice transferred from theater, film, radio, television and current new media.

Next up: My Understanding 21st Century Political Minstrel Videos

Minstrel 101 Resources

Bones: his anecdotes and goaks [by] G.W. Moore, the original Christy minstrel published 1870 located at the HathiTrust Digital Library.

American Minstrel Show Collection with brief history of structure of minstrel shows by Princeton University Library Rare and Special Collections Department.

Lift Every Voice - Music In American Life Albert H. Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia.

The Minstrel Show - History In a Nutshell

This is by necessity a conflated history of the theatrical minstrel show. The short version is that since the meeting of Africans and Europeans on American soil there has been minstrel performances and shows.

I'm starting in the 1900s but it goes back much further in time. This is where the tangles of history get complicated. In order for white folks to create theatrical minstrel shows you had to have black people, Christianity and spirituals.

There were former slaves that wanted to convert to Christianity. There were other freed men and women that were strongly encouraged or given no faith based choice in the matter. According to the New York Public Library Performing Desk Reference, the freed slaves looked at churches or religious groups that were similar to their African music practices.

Despite heavy segregation, there was a cross pollination of African and American/British spiritual music influences. Those influence moved from the sacred to the secular.

You also had the performances of the Fisk Jubilee Singers who traveled the world singing and raising money to support Fisk University. Their performances was another introduction to African American performers and music. These performers were talented, professional and presented the highest caliber of musicianship.

Yet, they didn't fit the stereotypical image of black people. According to the Fisk Jubilee Singers web site:

The first concerts were in small towns. Surprise, curiosity and some hostility were the early audience response to these young black singers who did not perform in the traditional “minstrel fashion.”

However, white performers were paying attention. About 1820 or so, a white performer named Thomas "Daddy" Rice observed a black street singer or a black stable hand (could have been the same person, it isn't clear from my readings) singing a song called "Jim Crow."


Thomas Rice put burnt cork on his face and started performing his version of the song. It was a hit and the song becomes an American standard.

Imitation is the sincerest form of making a dollar and other white performers jumped on the minstrel black face cash wagon. Soon almost any white performer with a lick of skill was in black face make-up and traveling the country performing.

Putting on a minstrel show was inexpensive, you didn't need a lot of props and you literally could borrow, appropriate and source your material from freeman performers. In addition, white performers could draw upon their own stereotypical views of what they thought they knew about black people.

Make no mistake, in the context of the time minstrel shows were very popular with both white and black audiences. Rich folks went to the opera, broke folks went to the minstrel shows.

Make that white broke folks. Africans and African Americans were not permitted to perform or be in attendance at a theatrical performance. Unless the theater had a separate performance for the non-white population they would have seen minstrel shows as part of carnivals, medicine shows or traveling troops of performers.

So in essence you had white performers appropriating content or inspiration from black performers and adding an overlay of stereotypical images to perform before a white audience.

Like I said, this is complicated. Ok, next up Minstrel 101 for sure.

Resources for Minstrel History

George Mason University Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media Minstrel Show

History of the original Fisk Jubilee Singers

Library of Congress Minstrel Poster Collection - Al "G" Field

Musicals1o1.com page on Minstrel performances

The New York Public Library Performance Art Desk Reference - The Birth of American Popular Music Pages 239 - 242 and the NYPL On-line search collection for Minstrel Shows

The Minstrel Show or I've Seen This Before?

I only have a surface understanding of the minstrel show. In the late 1960s and 1970s I was raised during a time of black power, affirmation and determination.

I knew about vaudeville. I knew about white performers in black face. It was a history I could read then walk away. It was gone. There were other things to learn about.

So I thought.

Some of you have no idea of what I am talking about. This is a clip with Slim Williams, performing in black face make-up, his mayoral political stump speech: (2017 update - guess ole Slim took it down. Plunking down a corking photo instead.)

Have I Lost My Flipping Mind?

No.

I have been getting mighty steamed up by the constant flow of stupidity, mendacity and flat out hate on hate political expression. It is politics mixed with sexism, racism and the damn near avocation of gender repression in order to fix the economy.

Why I am seeing this inane fear based rhetoric again and again? Something familiar but cloaked in time.

I think I can show that there are contemporary 2011 examples of this old theatrical art form. Or hate speech. Institutionalized power plays at being powerless in a safe fantasy world. Stage craft.

Call it whatever you feel comfortable with but understand that genesis of the minstrel show was based on observation and exaggeration of Africans and African Americans.

It is a theatrical form of bondage and domination where the oppressor gets to play at being a smart happy submissive. Not that I know anything about bondage and domination except for that workshop I sat in on a few years ago by accident.

Very informative. Honest, it really was a good workshop about power and control issues. There is an element of that in the structure of the minstrel show.

I want to look at modern political and entertainment videos that communicate power and control messages. Before I can do that I need to share the reason for doing these posts and the structure of minstrel performances.

This is a difficult exploration. This can be painful and not the ways you might think. My goal is to point out the performance style that is being applied to contemporary videos and by political operatives.

You might not want to come down this path for dozens of really good reasons. That is okay. I guess I'm trying to give a blanket trigger alert but it is impossible.

One more thing. This is not about white people bashing. There are black folks and other types of minstrel shows masked as advertisements and music videos. I saw a young black woman in a wig bathed in infrared light who performed a sexual jig with her amplified white lips.

A straight up minstrel performance. She isn't the only modern performer doing 21st century race based American minstrel performances.

Research Starting Points:

There is a web site that I've been hanging around for a few days. Ken Padgett's Black-Face.com where I've been reading about the origin and history of these types of performances. There is also a YouTube channel that has scenes from a 1951 film called "Yes, Sir Mr. Bones" that showcased some of the white and black performers.

I have been researching other sources as well from a theatrical and sociological perspective. In the next post, Minstrel 101.

Aint Got No on the Finally Freakout Friday

It is a time of reflection and moving forward. What have we got? What have we lost?

I had a scare a few weeks back. In the middle of it I wondered if I truly contributed more than I have taken from this life. The answer is, I could do better.

I have to make choices that will take me into uncharted lands and people. Not that I shy away from such possibilities but I need to make more of an effort not to be complacent.



I also need to kick the gratitude thing up a notch or two. By word and by deed. This is a musical reminder from Miss Nina Simone who had a way of making her point in 88 keys.

For me 2011 means going forward but with no resolutions I'll do it or I won't. But I'm willing to give it a try.

Ina's Video on What Women Really Need

I do understand that there is a portion of the population who needs chemical assistance with the hydrologics but it ain't me. For one specific person take you pill pushing behind someplace that has a penis. I do not have one, okay?

Being that I am solution orientated I want to heap increase the natural and pleasurable friction between partners. In order to stem the perceived need and fear of not getting any on-going action, I bring to you men folk words of wisdom from Ina Mlekush who will help some of you guys to stop worrying about the plumbing but instead being in the moment.



For those of a delicate nature, Ina does use words that you might not want to have resonating in the office. NSFW if you catch my drift.

Now as I have just learned from Ina, Menfolk feel the need to be doing stuff. We can work this out. Here is some of the stuff you fellas need to consider doing.



In the interest of equal time and because we all could stand a little touch-up of technique this is what the men folks want from us.

Tim Freke - Philosopher

I will admit that I do pay attention to bald headed men. Can't help it. Think of it as my Picard veteran preference in action. Anyway, this caught my attention. Who is this guy?



It is an intriguing concept - a philosopher with a sense of humor or at least a present that doesn't act like a narcotic. Yo, Nietzsche, I'm talking to you!

Sorry, flashback. There are other videos but let's see if this guy has got staying power.



Love exploring the journey from all perspectives.

Enjoy.

In My Name on the Finally Friday Freakout

I just found out that MTV has music videos on the MTV web site. And that they are embeddable. Why am I the last to know these things? The old skool and new wave are in peaceful co-existence with the hippy de hop.

Will I Am |MTV Music

This is important if you gronk up Big Daddy Kane, The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs and Wil I Am. Speaking of which this is a video with said Am and Angelique Kidjoe asking for peace, In My Name.

Menlo Park Adult School Closing Protest From Jose Lara

Budget cuts are no joke. School budget cuts are expensive in the short and long term. Jose Lara from Intersections - The South Los Angeles Report has a video report on why area residents feel strongly that the adult school should remain open. This is a captioned video but it takes a bit to kick in:



You want an adult school in your community. Immigrant communities need access to education, the ability to ask questions and to tap into resources. An adult school gives second and third chances.

Education reduces crime by providing training and other options beside negative entrepreneurship; i.e. selling items that are not legal for consumption or were not yours to sell in the first place.

The questions we don't ask are just as important as the ones we do. Where did all that bond money go to?

Education is getting slammed hard in California. This is another kick to the system.

Becerra Coffee Response to Stupak Amendment Question

In this video a woman is asking questions about the Stupak amendment that would not allow a woman to have an abortion even if she is paying for it with her own funds.



This is an extract from a video I recorded at the Coffee with Congressman Xavier Becerra meeting, November 14, 2009. To check what I was being told I went to Thomas.gov and looked at H.R. 3692. Here is the short version of the Stupak amendment:

The amendment prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option. It also prohibits individuals who receive affordability credits from purchasing a plan that provides elective abortions. However, it allows individuals, both who receive affordability credits and who do not, to separately purchase with their own funds plans that cover elective abortions. It also clarifies that private plans may still offer elective abortions.

Personally, I feel that the amendment should not have been allowed in their in the first place. Why waste time striking it when you could have bounced it from jump street? Anyway, this is a summary, you should read the full text for clarity.

As I read more about the pork, misinterpretations and the usually shenanigans by both sides of the political parties and vested interests I'm going to have to get my glasses updated with a cootie filter.

I want in on this health care conversation and I am willing to listen to alternate points of video. This is not a common trait as I learned at this meeting.

Now there were babies at this event. I saw a teenager or two. Honestly, the room was packed with all kinds of people. I can say with certainty that those misbehaving were over 40. Some were leaning over kissing age 70 kind of hard.

One elderly woman was escorted out of the event because she kept interrupting asking questions. Now I do support feisty women as a rule. This woman was verbalizing her discontent, shooting out questions and was disruptive. You won't see her in this video but the shushing will be noticeable.

When people are shushing you I think you should take the hint.

It wasn't that she couldn't ask questions. You just had to put you name in the bowl and take your chances. It wasn't like she was the only one in the room that felt like her. I was sitting next to two people who passionately did not like what the congressperson was saying.

I know this because the guy kept thumping the table with his fists. Causing my tripod and my camcorder attached to it to jump. Making me very unhappy. And constantly watching my back.

I'm not kidding, it was nerve wrecking. I do not want to give the impression it was tea baggers run a muck. It was not. Everyone, except that little old lady, was behaved.

Not well behaved but bordering on civil. I think it was the vested interest and passions that I was picking up on. The frustrations too. There was only an hour and folks wanted to get busy and talk about issues, not just about health care but about the budget, mass transit and other concerns. The great thing was that they wanted to talk.

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon. That was amazing in itself. I'm gonna take a chill pill. The democracy is fine.

These Are The Days of Our Lives on the Finally Friday Freakout

I was reading Dave Pollard's blog "How to Save the World." I check into it every now and again to see if he has figured it out. Because, you know we live here and perhaps there is a better way to live.

Dave wasn't feeling the positive vibe this week in his post "Nobody Knows Anything."

No one is in control. Obama isn't getting anything done, despite being the most powerful person on the planet, because he can't. The 'leaders' aren't going to deal with climate change or peak oil or pandemic disease or unsustainable debts, because no one has the power or authority to do anything, and because it would be political suicide to admit that the only solutions that might work will be radical, painful, and require a lot of sacrifice from everyone. So all you get is posturing, and it's just going to get worse. This is what unsustainable means.

I think Dave is having a form of burn out or something. It is hard. Waiting for people to have a clue that the gimme-gimmies are not working as well as they have in the past.

That how we continue in the future is dependent on how we act today.

There are times I feel the same way. Smoke it down and then start a new. And that kinda defeats the purpose of "How to Save the World." This next sentence is unavoidable. We are the world. Ok, a part of it.



I picked this video for a couple of reasons. Freddie Mercury was no angel but he was true to himself. He lived his life. Freddie certainly loved. This video was recorded toward the end of his time on the planet.

You don't mess around when you know you are about to croak. You do what you have to do. You speak your peace and prepare. In black and white the video still has a spark. I think Freddie wanted to let those close to him know that he did love. His gift was performing. Freddie wasn't finished yet. Not quiet ready to lay it down.

Maybe Dave Pollard is right; change cannot come from pundits and so-called leaders. It will have to come from the bottom up. It can't be legislated. The change has to be enacted by real people in action. Not sound bits or slogans.

Can we do it in love and respect? That is up to us. Not looking too good at the moment.

Dave is getting pissed that after 40 years from high school he now realizes that people don't know squat? Dude, I hear you. Except that many of us do know. There is action.

Slowly, so slowly we are moving toward the change that will exist long after we are dust.

Health Care Reform Crib Sheet For Busy People Part 2

I got a letter from my insurance company telling me that they will decide if a medication is valid, not my doctor. The insurance company will decide on the dosage, the length of time I can and can't have the medication and whether I take a prerequisite medication before I can receive the one that my doctor wants me to have. This gives me an excellent opportunity to review of my last post.

You see, if I'm telling you about this situation and I have no visible proof then it is anecdotal. I'm not lying, I really got the letter but you don't know that for sure. There is nothing wrong with anecdotal statements. If is one person telling another “this is my experience” that is not a problem. But when the anecdotal statement leaps into a friend of a friend… then that is a problem. E-mail chain letters are never valid anecdotal resources.

Now if I uploaded a copy of the actual letter then I would be posting the document that is the primary source. In this case, from my insurance company.

If I read about it in a newspaper article and the newspaper confirms with the insurance company that they are changing the terms of prescription coverage or they publish an authentic copy of the letter then the newspaper article is a secondary source. If newspaper columnists, editorial writers or bloggers are commenting on the change in prescription coverage then it is opinion.

Here is a chart to help visualize on overview of the playing field. You can also click to see a large version of the chart:

Vested Stakeholders

Health care is a multi-billion dollar industry. The business of health care intersects with many stakeholders beyond the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Everybody has something to say. I can’t list all the stakeholders but I want to give you examples and a few questions to ask to help you evaluate the information being presented.

Three Questions To Think About As You Evaluate An Information Source

• Who are you are dealing with? Check the Mission statement or the About Us page.
• Who do they cite as being in support of the point of view expressed on the website or blog? Is it a primary source, a newspaper or an anecdotal statement.
• Where does the money come from to support the web site and the activities being promoted by the web site? Again, you shouldn't have to spend all day trying to find that out. That information should be no more than two clicks away from the main page. I’m being generous.

Medical Stakeholders

Many of the sites that I will use as an example have multiple functions. Certainly physicians have a stake in any discussion of health care reform. One of the places that I visited was the American Medical Association current topics page. This lead me to an AMA advocacy site that goes into details on their perspective on health care reform. You can watch a question and answer video with doctor responses or read a short summary of what they want in health care reform.

Not all doctors belong to the AMA or even the ones that do support the AMA’s position on health reform. Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) is: “a single issue organization advocating a universal, comprehensive single-payer national health program. PNHP has more than 17,000 members and chapters across the United States.” There is video, links and resources to evaluate.

On August 20, 2009 Health Affairs held a meeting at the National Press Club to discuss Fact vs. Fiction, Key Issues in Health Reform. There were representatives from both sides of the debate. You can download the audio file, PowerPoint presentation or view video clips of the sessions. Every one who presented was a stakeholder who explained their point of view.

Trade and Professional Unions

The more union members work the more the union like any plan that would benefit their membership. There is no question that they are involved in the health care debate. One of the web sites is from the AFL – CIO is advocacy driven the Health Care for America Now. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Make America Happen/highway to heath care is another union supporting health care reform website.

Advocacy

This group contains folks that are actively supporting, actively trying to defeat the reform measure or adding their interpretations based on their group affinity. Also included are corporations and organizations that benefit no matter what the position the public holds on health care.

Hand Off My Health does not like the current health reform proposed at this writing. It does not support a government financed option. One of the questions I ask of an organization is where did they get their information. It should not take more than three clicks to find that out.

Look for a mission statement or an About Us page. Also you can get a lot of information by checking out pages that list links and resources. Many of the resources were to the Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation believes that:

To formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.

That is fine. I clearly understand the reasoning of the Heritage Foundation. If the budget was balanced they still would not be in favor of any kind of government or public health plan. There was full disclosure and they do have a page specifically detailing The Heritage Foundation's point of view on health reform. It took a while to find out the home base of the Hands Off My Health and related web sites.

At Get Better Health.com you can listen to a discussion between medical professionals. Now if I hadn’t done any research I wouldn’t have known that the guy leading the discussion is one of the participants at CMPI, which is the main website that Hands Off My Health Care and others are spun off from. I still would have researched the name of the doctor and looked up the web site.

Just one more thing. Get Better Health is a sponsored website. I do appreciate that they were upfront about it on their About page:

Better Health accepts sponsorship for content licensing, advertising, events (including salons, debates, forums, conferences, presentations), and information-sharing with our network. Individual bloggers receive revenue-share from licensing and advertising their content, and additional compensation for participation in events. We give 10% of our post-tax profits to non-profit health organizations to support their work.

This does not make their point of view any less valid. This means you have to check the front end and the back end of the horse to make sure it is what it is.

Bloggers

There are keyboards smoking across the country from the heated exchange of facts, opinion and commentary about this topic. I really don’t have to leave BlogHer to find different views but let me show you other bloggers with something to say about health reform.

Disruptive Women in Health Care is a health information blog. The bloggers come from a variety of viewpoints on health issues.

Nurse Ratched’s Place has a post up, she is a working nurse and gives her opinion on health care reform. California Nurses have videos that contain advocacy and commentary about issues concerning their work and health reform.

Melissa Suran in her post The Young and Insured-Less wants to know if those in their Twenties are included in the health care debate.

Resources

Last week Nancy Watzman wrote about the financial lobbying power of contributions to congress members. Congressional Quarterly Politics is a free, non-partisan journalism site that looks at issues and the money that tag along the congressional health care trail. Can you spell PAC?

Center for Media and Democracy’s PR Watch has a post by Wendell Potter about his role as a health care PR person. He talks about the techniques used in disinformation campaigns in the past and the present.

The Cato Institute, like the Heritage Foundation, believes in limited role of government. On the web site you will find ideas, suggestions and alternatives to a government financed health care option.

Citizenship Is Not Easy

Being informed is our responsibility. Don’t abdicate that responsibility. If you really want to be a patriot share a comment or a relevant link that others would find useful. We don’t have to agree but we can respectfully educate each other.

Gena Haskett is a Contributing Editor and the post originally appeared BlogHer.

Update 02/22/2010 Typographical corrections.

Health Reform Crib Sheet For Busy People Part 1

This year, many first year college students will take a class taught by library staff on critical thinking and evaluating sources. I am trying to convince their parents and other interested people that they need to do the same. There is more to contemporary education than reading, writing and arithmetic. The current health care debate is the prime reason why we need information evaluation and literacy skills.  This is a my attempt at a functional crib sheet.

To begin,  I want to focus on primary and secondary sources and the tools that you can use to help make sense out of the verbal and textual clutter. Next week I’ll show how to evaluate material associated with vested interests and opinion.

Let me say that this topic is a challenge. I would like to keep politics out of this post. That is impossible. My goal for this specific post is to help us make informed decisions.  If you haven’t done so please check out Nancy Watzman’s BlogHer post on More Tools to Get Your Own Scoop on Health Care Debate.

Who Said What? - Look For Primary Sources

The primary source is the originator of the statement or documentation. It can be a person, organization or, in this case, a branch of the United States government. There are multiple health care bills and proposals; the one that has gotten the most publicity as of this writing is from the House of Representatives. It is known as  H.R. 3200, the "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009."

This is the primary source you use to support or refute a fact or statement being discussed about the proposed legislation. Internet users can view and download a copy of the printed bill or you can access a web version from the Library of Congress Thomas.gov portal. I found the web version easier to navigate and target the sections of the bill I am most interested in reviewing.

The Cost of Health Care

Reading a health care bill is one thing but it is also important to understand what has been spent by the government and the projected futures expenses.  Again, I’m going to use governmental figures because no matter what political party is in office there is always someone standing in the corner saying, “We are in trouble. We can’t continue spending like this; please pay attention.” 

Allow me to cast a light on the Accountants, Analysts and Researchers  in the following governmental offices:

The Congressional Budget Office has a section on the website that is a quick view on health care spending and projections.  You might want to take a look at a 2007 report that really is clear and concise on why we are in this situation. Insurance, Providers and Patients all have a share of the responsibility for the expense. We need to be honest about the problem. This report does it in 30 pages. There are people who have issues with the Congressional Budget Office. Not to worry. I have more.

From Census.gov this is the 2009 Statistical Abstract where you can view health care expenditures from 1961 to projected 2017. Let me give you a hint. The numbers do not go down over time. You can see a quick pdf chart of the figures.

The Government Accountability Office constantly looks at how money is spent. There is so much data here I get the warm fuzzies just thinking about diving in the data flow. You might feel otherwise. I understand.

Please use the search engine and type in “health care”. Then filter by the year you want to see data. You can read summaries, the full text, or an accessible version for text readers. 

The main point of this section is know your facts and share with others if asked. You should direct attention, whenever possible to the primary source of information. Everything else is a secondary or derivative source and subject to interpretation.

Secondary Sources - Verification and Interpretation

Traditionally, secondary sources have been newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Responsible journalists will cite the source of the topic they are reporting. Secondary sources can also point to expert might support or disprove the presented information. That is why you will see a lot of news articles and television news programs seek out the expert.  “The expert states…” not the reporter/journalist. 

Bloggers can be secondary sources if they cite the primary source without distortion, that they provide linked attribution that can be easily followed by their visitors and that there is a clear separation between providing facts and providing opinion.

Check It Once and Check It Again

Journalism and news reporting can be helpful to consumers when they examine a statement and methodically evaluate the source and credibility.  My love knows no bounds for FactCheck.org  and their review of a chain e-mail letter Twenty Six Lies About H.R. 3200. And how can I not mention PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter on the same e-mail meme.

Another place to hang around is the Association for Health Care Journalists blog. These are the folks that we want to keep an eye on because there is reporting here that may or may not make print in your local newspapers or television news program.

For example, you might have heard about the dust up concerning John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods and his Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal.  Via Pia Christensen's post, I found out that Mr. Mackey has very interesting connections to the health care industry.

The original post was written by Laura Bennett and appeared on Muckety.com. Muckety.com helps you see visual relationships between people and companies. It was a little clunky for me but it does work.  Many media outlets are creating their own “health blog” including the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio and Consumer Reports.org Health Blog. 

I have questions if this is a good thing or not. If the media outlets has not provided credible journalism in their traditional environment what makes them think a blog is the way to go?

Other Voices

I don’t have to tell you that there is an increasing disconnect between certain types of journalism and consumers. Some newspapers are so busy trying to learn to tweet that they have forgotten how to tell the story. There are a lot of reasons why we are getting the kind of reporting that does not seem to be serving our needs. Sadly too many examples to lists.

There are other bloggers that can say it better than I can.  Mary Turck writes about the Spinning The News:

Too much news reporting is about spin and who’s spinning which directions and which spin is working. It’s about tactics and winning and losing and the horse race — and not about the issues and facts.

Rebecca Critchfield primarily writes about health and nutrition but I think this statement could be applied to health reporting as well. In her post called  the Price of Misinformation she writes:

It’s one thing when people hear new information and share it with others (there’s a reason they call it a “rumormill” and “myths”), but when the media are behind the misinformation it helps no one. People trust the media and they assume that the stories are well-researched. But that’s not always the case in this day and age of a small news hole and the fierce competition to stand out with breaking news. The pressure for ratings is higher than ever and staying relevant in the land of Twitter and the Blogosphere is a challenge for mainstream media.

Next time, a look at how to evaluate those with a vested interest in the health care debate and how to spot an editorial, an advocacy post and various forms of dis-information.

Gena Haskett is a Contributing Editor at BlogHer and that is where this post originally appeared.

Dan Roam and Tony Jones Slide Presentation on Health Care

Dan Roam and Tony Jones, M.D. have put together a slide presentation on their perspectives of the health care debate. I may quibble about some of the items but it does point to one thing I keep saying and it gets dismissed.

Healthcare Napkins All

View more documents from Dan Roam.

I want health care access and reform but we are actually talking about health care insurance reform. I'm not giving up on either but crazy is as crazy does.

The Art of Presentation – Speaker and Presentation Bloggers

There will be common elements between all of the presenters in that there will be a structure of some form. It is a skill that can be taught by people who have information and the gift of teaching. It is also something that can be learned if you find the right resources.

Let me introduce you to a few of the bloggers who help others to give great speeches and presentations. The first two I met during PresentationCamp Los Angeles. I want to start with them because they demonstrated the very skills other claim to teach.

The first is Olivia Mitchell who lives way over cross the creek in New Zealand. She has posts on What You Need To Know Before Your First Presentation.

This is an excerpt:

There’s one thing though that most people are slower to forgive - and that’s a lack of preparation leading to disorganized and rambling content. They’ve given up their time to listen to you - respect that by putting time into your preparation.

Another thing that is very helpful is that she does presentation critiques. Check out the analysis of a presentation by author Malcolm Gladwell where Olivia breaks the presentation down to the elements to shows you what works and what could be improved.

Lisa Braithwaite at Speak Schmeak has a tremendous amount of posts on her blog. There are posts on anxiety, voice and when Audience Members Attack.

Being a speaker or presenter means believing in yourself and having confidence.  Either you have a knowledge that someone values or you couldn’t run out of the room fast enough. Either way, you have to believe that you have the power.

Other Speakers and Presentation Bloggers

Sarah Gershman at the Greenroom blog gives short concise tips on public speaking, behavior and being focused and present. Yes, we’ve all seen speakers that are able to stand before us and still phone in the talk. I liked her post on Listen to the Pop to Know When to Stop.

Ellen Finkelstein's PowerPoint Tips blog is information dense, just the way I like it. She has got information on how to give presentations, customize PowerPoint and other resources that help presenters use Microsoft PowerPoint better. I’m definitely going to be snagging an idea or two from her.

Contrast Ellen’s ways she uses PowerPoint with Joan Curtis and her post the Perils of PowerPoint.  Dr. Curtis is reminding folks that slide presentation programs are a tool, it should not be the whole experience when your give a presentation.

For those that might be giving science or technology based presentations you might want to check out Lisa B. Marshall’s blog, The Art of Speaking Science. Lisa also has The Art of Speaking Business blog. You might want to check out her Seminar page where she has downloadable pdf  on topics like How To Build and Maintain Your Network and How to Give A Research Based Presentation.

This is an extremely small sampling of the world of speaker and presentation bloggers but these folks have much to offer. Dive in and soak it up.

Gena Haskett is a Contributing Editor at BlogHer  where this post originally appeared.

PresentationCamp L.A. - Bringing Enthusiasm

This is a short clip from Lisa’s presentation on how to bring fun into presenting information.

My understanding is that you cannot expect to have people happy to hear what you have to say if you are a drip or a monotone piece of cardboard. Lisa Braithwaite gives solid advice about the mindset required to deliver a good presentation. 

For more info check out Cliff Atkinson’s blog or to see if there are other videos or notes, check out the PresentationCamp wiki.

PresentationCamp L.A. Pre-Ramble or A Tale of Two Books

The PSA project was and is making me crazy. I know what I want to do, I know the information I want to convey but I need to deliver it in an accessible and visual manner. I also want to teach people how to do this as well but I have to simplify the process.

Yes, I don't lack for things to do.

Here is the thing, I am not a designer, educational media specialist or the slickest video kid on the block. I don't have to be but I needed help.

I stared looking for books and resources on how to convey information that could help me with the stories I need to pass on down the line.

I decide on Slide:ology by Nancy Duate. Off I go to the local bookstore. Not in stock. Store #2, nope just sold out.

Hit up on Store #3, where I call before I make a move, and "Yes, we've got it."

They didn't have it.

I look down and I see this book, Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson. I open it up, flip the pages and it seemed to speak of the processes on how to do this and understand what the audience needs from people who present information.

Sold. I'll order the other book online. Time marches on.

Ok a full three months pass by without ordering the book.

A few days ago a friend e-mails me that she just learned via the Apple Store how to bring her Keynote slides into iMovie and export into a Flash movie format.

I sent her a link to Cliff's website. I also check out the Beyond Bullet Points blog and that is how I found out about Presentation Camp L.A.

It was a mind inspiring day. I'm editing video so I hope to have something soon. It is that time thing, don’t have as much as I need or want.

Oh yeah, the purpose of this pre-ramble. I got a copy of Slide:ology, iMovie 09, and When Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes by Andy Goodman.

Serendipity has often meant to me to surrender to the possible you can't see. Or getting whacked upside the head with a lot of information at one time. It is a good thing but it still knocks me out when it happens.

I mean that literally because it took three hours to get home (Dang that Metro!) and I conked out shortly after.

It was great but a really long day. In another ramble I need to re-think why I don't drive.

The PSA Project - This Is What I Can Do

Today is Memorial and Remembrance Day in Uzbekistan. I wrote a post on the murder of Aisa McGowen. I asked there must be something that we can do. That I could do. I stared running my mouth and that is a sure sign of trouble right there.

The thought would not let me go. Aisa wasn't the first women assaulted and murdered and sadly she will not be the last. But the question nagged at me because instead of accepting that their is nothing an individual or as a group can do I think I found "something."

This is a remembrance of all women, men and children who have died because of intentional and senseless violence.



I'm using the metaphor of the traditional PSA to educate and inform. This isn't a one day thing for me. But I wanted to show that it is not totally hopeless or overwhelming.

We don't need much. We have what we need. Using very basic tools to create, display and distribute PSA videos each one can reach another.

It is doable. We can do this for ourselves. Text blogs are our first foundation steps, this is our next and we need to do it now because the constriction is starting to happen. That is a discussion for another time.

I'm going to be posting more stuff today but let me give you what I have identified as what I see as needed:

• There is a lack of connection with our youth and certain young men in the music history with the women who made them possible. Not talking about their mothers but their historical mothers. The rest of us are also just coasting on name recognition but really don't know or remember the importance of the women I'll use as an example. So the imaginary campaign is Stop the Verbal Violence.
  
• The Help information on YouTube does not have videos to show how to customize your settings so that you can control users comments. YouTube does want Help videos and they have a section on how to do it. I'm taking them up on it.
• There are resources about cyberstalking, harassment and bullies. Some are good. Many are out of date and haven't been updated since 1997 or 2002. Sadly some non-profit webs sites are up but you go to a specific page it is 404'd out. Almost all are text based. Then there is the whole issues that not every state or police force has a specific policy on what do.

So that was what I identified as a need that can be filed or addressed. We don't have to wait for M$M to get it cuz it brings them no profit to do so. Where I live they no longer show PSAs on commercial television unless the show is so bad that they can't get advertising for it.

On the weekend there is nothing but infomercials or re-runs of things I would not watch in the first place. I haven't really turned on my television much since the inauguration.

Hulu? Yeah for now but Disney didn't sign on to have PSAs running in their shows.

I'm noticing on YouTube the featured videos are of M$M productions and the YT user videos are moved toward the bottom? I'm just saying...

This is first of the PSA videos. You can click the PSA tag to pull up what I have at the moment. In other posts I'll talk more about process. I have my part of Bandini Mountain and there is enough to go around.