Depression

When college students post about depression on Facebook

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Jan 07,2020 Jeff Grabmeier Ohio State News grabmeier.1@osu.edu Study suggests friends don’t encourage them to seek help When college students post about feelings of depression on Facebook, their friends are unlikely to encourage them to seek help, a small study suggests. In fact, in this study, none of the 33 participating students said their friends told them they should reach out to a mental health professional to discuss their problems. Instead, most friends simply sent supportive or motivating messages.Scottye CashBut that may not be good enough for people who are truly depressed – as some of the people in this study probably were, said Scottye Cash, lead author of the study and professor of social work at The Ohio State University. “It makes me concerned that none of the Facebook friends of students in this study were proactive in helping their friend get help,” Cash said. “We need to figure out why.” The research, published online recently in the journal JMIR Research Protocols, is part of a larger online study of health outcomes of 287 students at four universities in the Midwest and West. This study included the 33 students in the larger study who reported that they had “reached out on Facebook for help when depressed.” The students reported what type of post they made and how their friends responded. They also completed a measure of depression. Results showed that nearly half of the participants reported symptoms consistent with moderate or severe […]

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Drug Abuse

Lena Dunham opens up about drug addiction: 'Pills I thought dulled my pain actually created it'

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‘When I was dropped off at rehab, I thought it was the end of my life,’ says Dunham Clémence MichallonNew York @Clemence_Mcl Monday 28 October 2019 16:42  Lena Dunham attends the Friendly House 30th annual awards luncheon on 26 October, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. ( Vince Bucci/Getty Images for Friendly House ) Lena Dunham has opened up about her prescription drugs addiction and her newfound sobriety. The actor was named Woman of the Year by Friendly House, an addiction treatment facility for women in Los Angeles. “I didn’t think that I was a drug addict,” Dunham, who has previously said she used to misuse prescription medication, said while accepting the honour at a luncheon this weekend, according to Variety. Speaking in more detail about her former struggle around drugs, she added that “pills that I thought dulled my pain actually created it”. Dunham, who has been sober for 18 months, first disclosed her history of drug abuse last year in a podcast with Dax Shepard.     At that time, she told the actor she had “misused [benzodiazepines]” for three years, adding: “Nobody I know who are prescribed these medications is told, ‘By the way, when you try and get off this, it’s going to be like the most hellacious acid trip you’ve ever had where you’re f****** clutching the walls and the hair is blowing off your head and you can’t believe you found yourself in this situation.” During this weekend’s event, Dunham explained how media portrayals had skewed her […]

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Health and Wellbeing

Why Joker’s depiction of mental illness is dangerously misinformed

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Annabel Driscoll and Mina Husain The Guardian Mon 21 Oct 2019 11.04 EDT With films playing a key role in shaping attitudes to mental health, two doctors say Joaquin Phoenix’s troubled supervillain perpetuates damaging stereotypes As junior doctors who work on acute inpatient psychiatric wards, serious mental illness is our daily reality. We have, therefore, watched the controversies around Todd Phillips’s Joker – in which Joaquin Phoenix plays a troubled loner who turns to violence – with professional interest. The film’s dominance in the debate about portrayals of mental illness in the movies comes at a curious time. Recently, we’ve witnessed great leaps of awareness about relatively common mental-health issues such as depression and anxiety, and with that awareness, increasing dismissal of the sort of unhelpful prejudices that used to surround them. These are now readily discussed without shame and often represented in the media with a well-informed grasp of the facts, thanks to effective information campaigns. Joker review – the most disappointing film of the year 2 out of 5 stars.     Read more However, severe mental health conditions, such as psychotic illnesses, remain shrouded in stigma and are consistently misrepresented and misunderstood. Portrayals of mental illness in film can perpetuate unfounded stereotypes and spread misinformation. One of the more toxic ideas that Joker subscribes to is the hackneyed association between serious mental illness and extreme violence. The notion that mental deterioration necessarily leads to violence against others – implied by the juxtaposition of Phoenix’s character Arthur stopping […]

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Abuse

Sadfishing: Social media trend threatens teenagers’ mental health, report warns

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Pupils seeking support online are being affected by latest trend Eleanor Busby Education Correspondent Tuesday 1 October 2019 07:38  A new social media trend called “sadfishing” is threatening teenagers’ mental health, report finds. Youngsters facing genuine distress who seek support online are being accused of jumping onto the same publicity bandwagon as celebrities, according to research commissioned by headteachers. “Sadfishing” has been used to describe when someone posts about an emotional problem in an attempt to attract attention, sympathy or hook an audience. The term was coined after a number of celebrities, such as Kendall Jenner, were accused of teasing details about personal issues on their social media sites to drum up publicity and attract more likes. A new study, by Digital Awareness UK (DAUK), says sadfishing is among the new trends that damage teenagers’ self-esteem, with teenagers reporting that they have been bullied as a result. The report, which is based on face-to-face sessions with more than 50,000 pupils aged 11 to 16, argues that students can be left feeling disappointed at not getting the support they desire and it can subsequently make their emotional or mental health problems worse. One Year 7 student told researchers that he used Instagram to share his feelings when he was feeling down due to problems at home. “I got a lot of people commenting on and ‘liking’ my post but then some people said I was sadfishing the next day at school for attention,” the student said. “Sharing […]

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Advocacy

Keep Speaking Out About Pain

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Keep speaking out.My personal path into patient advocacy began with speaking at conferences about my struggle with complex regional pain syndrome, and, then, writing a book about it. But I know first-hand that speaking up isn’t easy–it can leave you feeling vulnerable and exposed, and it requires your already-limited energy and time. That’s why I’m so grateful to each pain warrior […]

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Health and Wellbeing

Camila Cabello just shared the simple self-help technique she uses to overcome her anxiety

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People Posted byChristobel Hastings Published16 days ago Camila Cabello is no stranger to speaking out about her mental healthstruggles, and in a bid to raise awareness of the effects of anxiety, the singer shared the self-help technique she turns to when she’s feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of everyday life. In an age when our perception of the world is so often viewed through a heavily filtered lens, it can be tough to keep a cultivate a positive self-image. But despite the heavily-filtered images and aspirational messages we consume on our social media feeds, more and more celebrities are taking steps to break through the illusion of perfection and present a more nuanced reality. One star leading the way when it comes to disrupting the narrative is Camila Cabello. The singer is no stranger to speaking out about her struggles with mental health, and in a candid note to her followers last month, she opened up about her experiences with anxiety, and the ways she’s learned to cope with being “incredibly nervous” and “socially anxious.” This time around the Señorita singer is continuing her mental health conversation by sharing the coping mechanism she turns to when she’s feeling overwhelmed: breathing exercises. Taking to Instagram, the singer posted a long note to her followers acknowledging that she has the power to influence positive change in people’s lives through her social media platform, even if in “small ways.” “To anyone on here who is struggling, which we all do […]

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Health and Wellbeing

This NBA Superstar Used 2 (Surprising) Words to Teach a Valuable Lesson in Emotional Intelligence

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By Justin BarisoFounder, Insight It’s rare for professional athletes to admit weakness. It’s even rarer for them to do this. As the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors continue their slugfest to determine the NBA’s 2019 champion, one player is already preparing for next season: The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not that long ago it appeared that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks would be playing the Warriors for this year’s championship. The Bucks had cruised through the playoffs, and were up two games to zero against the Toronto Raptors. But the Raptors went on to win the next four games in a row–a remarkable feat considering the Bucks hadn’t lost three games in a row the entire season. The Raptors managed to defeat the Bucks by tooling their defense to focus on stopping the young team’s star (who’s affectionately known as “the Greek Freak” due to his Athens upbringing and monstrous athletic prowess). In a recent interview with The Athletic, Antetokounmpo acknowledged that Raptors players Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol gave him particular trouble. Giannis admitted that now the series is over, “every day in his head,” he continues to see Gasol and Leonard coming at him. Then, Antetokounmpo went on to say something remarkable to his opponents: “Thank you. Thank you, because Gasol and Kawhi made me a better player. I’m not trying to be sarcastic. I’m being honest. They’re going to push me to be better.” “Thank you.” It’s rare for professional athletes to admit weakness or to credit opposing players for […]

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Media

Blair Underwood: Ava Duvernay Made A Grief Counselor Available On The Set Of ‘When They See Us’

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HelloBuzz Shamika Sanders, Sr. Entertainment Editor Posted May 31, 2019 Ava Duvernay was just a teenager when five young Black boys, from Harlem, were arrested and convicted for the rape of a white woman in Central Park on the night of April 19, 1989. So when Raymond Santana, one of the “Central Park 5” sent her a wishful tweet about bringing the Central Park 5 story to the screen, “it meant a lot” to her, she revealed to NPR. Ava and Netflix’s When They See Us chronicles the events of the Central Park Five case that captivated the nation. The four-part series will span 25 years, taking on the wrongful conviction of the boys, as well as highlight their exoneration in 2002 and the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014. Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Jr., Kevin Richardson and Korey Wise were beaten upon arrest, forced into making false confessions and convicted of a crime they did not commit. They served between seven and 13 years in prison and were later exonerated only to have a convicted murderer, who was serving a life sentence, eventually confess to the crime. Their story is perfectly aligned with Duvernay’s mission to raise awareness around the injustices of the prison industrial system, which she explored in her critically acclaimed documentary the 13th. When They See Us stars a stellar cast Michael K. Williams, John Leguizamo, Niecy Nash and Blair Underwood, who opened up to us about this role […]

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Media

Maisie Williams on how ‘Game of Thrones’ stardom impacted on her mental health

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Nick Reilly May 16, 2019 10:13 am BST Read more at https://www.nme.com/news/tv/maisie-williams-says-game-of-thrones-stardom-affected-her-mental-health-2488647#ZzzRIZF429jpTWLX.99 “You can just sit in a hole of sadness” Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams has explained how finding fame on the hit show adversely affected her mental health. The actress, who has drawn widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Arya Stark, told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast how it was tricky to navigate fame as a teenager. The star was just 13-years-old when she was cast in the role and said that she often became overwhelmed by negative comments on social media. “It gets to a point where you’re almost craving something negative, so you can just sit in a hole of sadness,” Williams said. While Williams now gives less attention to negative thoughts, she admits that she still considers how they affected her. Maisie Williams as Arya Stark ” I still lie in bed at, like, 11 o’clock at night telling myself all the things I hate about myself,” Williams said. “It’s just really terrifying that you’re ever going to slip back into it. That’s still something that I’m really working on, because I think that’s really hard. It’s really hard to feel sad and not feel completely defeated by it.” Describing her desire for a “normal life” after the show ends on Sunday, Williams admitted: “I don’t want any of this crazy, crazy world because it’s not worth it.” READ MORE: ‘Game of Thrones’ season 8 episode 5 review: Did Daenerys just jump […]

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Fun

Hero Biker Helps Father Get Unconscious Daughter To The Hospital Through Heavy Traffic #WATWB #24

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                    May 31, 2019 This is the incredible moment a hero biker saved the life of a young girl having an epileptic fit by rushing her to the hospital while her family was stuck in a traffic jam. Credit: Viral Press The girl’s father Sorachat Sadudee, 51, was driving home after picking up his two daughters from school in Phitsanulok, central Thailand last week. His youngest daughter Kaimook, 8, told him that she felt sick and very tired, so he tried to make his way home as quickly as he could. But the girl had a potentially deadly seizure and started to foam at the mouth before she eventually passed out on the passenger seat while they stuck at a junction. The father was trying to drive the child to the nearest hospital but he was stuck in heavy traffic. So, he opened the window and shouted for help. Passing biker Itthiphon Petchphibunpong, 28, noticed the panic-stricken family inside the black sedan frantically trying to wake the girl up. He offered to ride her to the hospital. Footage shows the motorcycle weaving through rows of cars waiting at junctions. Kaimook finally arrived at the emergency ward within four minutes – far quicker than her father would have been able to have arrived if he had stayed in the traffic jam. She was saved and later transferred to another hospital. “I couldn’t […]

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Media

We Need To Stop Focusing On the Mental Health of Mass Shooters

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By Deborah DoroshowDeborah Doroshow is a physician and historian of medicine at Yale University and the author of “Emotionally Disturbed: A History of Caring For America’s Troubled Children.”May 20 In the two decades since the massacre at Columbine High School, digging into the psychology of mass shooters has sadly become an all-too-familiar habit — now something we seem to do almost weekly. After the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, media coverage pointed to the shooter’s odd behavior as a child and his near-mutism as a college student. After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, newspapers described the shooter as “withdrawn and meek” and suggested that he might have had Asperger syndrome. The two people responsible for the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado on May 7 are already the subjects of forensic investigation of their presumed troubled pasts. This practice is not just a phenomenon of the post-Columbine era of mass shootings. It has its roots in the early 20th century, and it represents an effort to shift blame and find an area of consensus after massacres that could otherwise force uncomfortable conversations. In the process, this practice fosters stigma against one of the most vulnerable groups of Americans: the mentally ill. In the late 19th century, reports of mass shootings were typically very brief. But by the turn of the century, coverage grew more detailed, often describing how the shooter had […]

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Abuse

Being Bullied Thru Junior High

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I was always the odd kid out, didn’t make friends easy, would only have one friend at a time, lied to get attention and cut myself to see who cared. When you’re abused as a child you keep your world silent, I told no one, that’s the key reason I didn’t want to have friends. My step-father was a drunk […]

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Childhood Learning

For school shooting survivors, trauma has no time limit

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Associated Press April 18, 2019 By TERRY SPENCER, KELLI KENNEDY and COLLEEN SLEVIN PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — Alex Rozenblat can still hear the cries of a wounded boy calling for help as she hid from the gunfire that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year. Talking to therapists at the school in Parkland, Florida, didn’t help. Each session had a different counselor, and she found herself rehashing traumas she had already expressed. She would rather turn to her friends, who understand what she went through. “There is slight pressure to get better as quickly as you can, and since it’s been a year, everyone thinks that you are better,” the 16-year-old said. The mental health resources after a school shooting range from therapy dogs and grief counselors at school to support groups, art therapy and in-home counseling. But there is no blueprint for dealing with the trauma because each tragedy, survivor and community is different. Many survivors don’t get counseling right away — sometimes waiting years — making it difficult to understand the full impact. The struggle is getting them to seek help in the first place. In the two decades since the Columbine High School massacre, a network of survivors has emerged, reaching out to the newest victims to offer support that many say they prefer to traditional therapy. As the anguish festers, the danger grows, illustrated by the recent suicides of two Marjory Stoneman Douglas survivors […]

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Fun

This Day in History April 11th

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  I appreciate you stopping by, all comments are welcome!  M 1976 Just days after forming Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.) with his friend Steve Jobs, computer hobbyist Steve Wozniak hand-builds and offers to the public a new machine boasting a 1MHz CPU and 4KB standard memory, dubbing it the Apple I. 1814 On this day in 1814, Napoleon […]

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Celebrate Life

Reading list: 23 female TED speakers tell us about the books that shaped them

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Ideas.Ted.Com Mar 7, 2018 / Rajpreet Heir Here are the books that profoundly influenced women from our speaker community, and they’re just as wonderfully diverse as TED itself. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë When I read this book for the first time as a deeply odd fifth-grader (or, as Jane says, “poor, plain, and little”), it felt like grasping onto a life raft that had been flung to me through the folds of time. Feeling such a kinship with Jane and with Charlotte Brontë herself made me feel, quite suddenly, less alone. I still re-read this book every couple of years, and it still speaks to something primal and yearning in me — the outsider woman who is finally seen, finds love, but also has the strength and self-possession to reject that love until she is able to accept it from a place of her own power and dignity. If you haven’t read it, do so immediately; if you read it a long time ago, it is well worth reading again; and if you, like me, can’t get enough of it, may I also recommend Wide Sargasso Sea, which is a prequel by Jean Rhys centered on the story of the mad wife in the attic. — Naomi McDougall Jones (TED Talk: What it’s like to be a woman in Hollywood) Good Woman by Lucille Clifton I read this collection of poems at a time of life when I was […]

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Media

On This Day In History March 7th

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  1876 Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone Following the development of his prototype ‘harmonic telegraph’ device, Scotland-born Alexander Graham Bell receives a US patent on a revolutionary new form of instantaneous communication, the telephone.   1965 Selma civil rights march becomes ‘Bloody Sunday’ Marching for civil rights for African Americans, hundreds of unarmed and peaceful protesters cross the Edmund […]

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Freedom of Speech

It’s not politics or religion separating humans from each other; it’s shame

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IDEAS.TED.com Feb 26, 2019 / Douglas Rushkoff   Excerpted from the new book Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff. Copyright © 2019 by Douglas Rushkoff. Reprinted by permission of W.W. Norton & Company. All rights reserved. Watch his TED Salon: Samsung talk here: https://embed.ted.com/talks/douglas_rushkoff_how_to_be_team_human_in_the_digital_future ABOUT THE AUTHOR Douglas Rushkoff is the host of the popular Team Human podcast. He has written 20 books, including the bestsellers “Present Shock” and “Program or Be Programmed,” as well as regular columns for Medium, CNN, Daily Beast and the Guardian. Rushkoff also made the PBS Frontline documentaries “Generation Like” and “Merchants of Cool.” He coined such concepts as “viral media” and “social currency,” and he’s been a leading voice for applying digital media toward social and economic justice. He is a research fellow of the Institute for the Future and founder of the Laboratory for Digital Humanism at CUNY/Queens, where he is a professor of media theory and digital economics.

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Fun

Today In History February 21

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1599 Shakespeare leases marshland on the Thames River William Shakespeare joins seven other men in signing a lease on a Southwark lot along the Thames. The playwright now owns a share in what will become the Globe Theatre, where some of his most memorable plays will first be staged, including ‘Julius Caesar,’ ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Othello,’ ‘King Lear,’ and ‘Hamlet.’   1804 […]

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Chronic Illness

U.S. Pain Foundation Ambassador Network

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Last week I joined the U.S. Pain Foundation Ambassador Program. The work the organization does for people with chronic pain is hands-on and at a government level. There are endless opportunities for you to support the organization with the time you have available. I have to learn how to do screenshots on MAC OS quickly, I’m attending a Webinar on Thursday.  Melinda Dear Junior Ambassador, I would like to personally welcome you into the U.S. Pain family! By joining our Pain Ambassador Network, you are taking action and choosing to help us advocate on behalf of the pain community. Our goal is to support you and provide you with the tools needed to raise awareness. The U.S. Pain Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by people with pain for people with pain. We want the experiences you have as a junior ambassador to be full of fun and excitement. Our mission is to educate, connect, empower, and advocate for pain warriors as well as their families, caregivers, and friends; the hard work and dedication of ambassadors like you is what allows us to fulfill this mission. We greatly appreciate the time, energy, and passion that you have chosen to dedicate towards raising awareness! To thank you for your commitment as a volunteer, we will be sending you a starter package in the mail. We encourage you to use these resources to empower yourself. As a junior ambassador, we would also like […]

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Media

Love the news but hate clickbait and fluff? Here’s how to get more quality and less quantity

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Ideas.Ted.com Feb 5, 2019 / Cal Newport Digital minimalist Cal Newport shows how you can turn off the information firehose and follow current events on your own terms. Are you ready to join the attention resistance? In 2010, a trio of Germans with backgrounds in sociology, technology and market research posted a document titled “Das Slow Media Manifest” (the English translation is “The Slow Media Manifesto”). Following the Slow Foodmovement — which promotes local food and cuisine as an alternative to fast food — the Slow Media Manifesto notes that the first decade of the 21st century “brought profound changes to the technological foundations of the media landscape.” The second decade, it proposes, should be dedicated to figuring out the “appropriate reaction.” Their suggestion: We can embrace the concept of “slow.” In an age in which the digital attention economy is shoveling more and more clickbait toward us and fragmenting our focus into emotionally charged shards, the right response is to become more mindful in our media consumption. The Slow Media movement is still mostly European; in the US, the response has proved more puritanical. Whereas the Europeans suggest transforming media consumption into a high‑quality experience, Americans have tended to embrace the “low information diet”: a concept popularized by author Tim Ferriss, in which you aggressively eliminate sources of news and information to reclaim time for other pursuits. Much like the American approach to healthy eating, it focuses on eliminating […]

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Fun

Today in History February 6th

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1812 Earthquake causes Mississippi River to flow backwards The last of four massive earthquakes that began the previous December strikes in what will be the state of Missouri with a force strong enough to spawn a fluvial tsunami, causing the mighty Mississippi River to run backwards for many hours.   1935 Beloved board game Monopoly debuts Parker Brothers begins selling […]

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Family

Diversity Matters in Research

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By 23andMe on Fri, 01 Feb 2019 17:49:06 Africans and African Americans are among the most underrepresented populations in genetic health research, yet they face some of the most daunting health outcomes.   It’s a bitter irony of the current state of research that among those most in need are the least served by our ever-expanding genetic knowledge. Africans, African Americans, as well as Latinos, still make up less than four percent of individuals included in genome-wide association studies, according to a recent study. Genetic Diversity This despite the fact that Africans and people of African ancestry are more genetically diverse than all other populations in the world combined. This is because humans originated in Africa and have lived there continuously for more than 200,000 years, adapting to the varied climates and regions. The rest of the world was populated by small groups of people who first migrated out of Africa some 60,000 to 130,000 years ago. In genetics this is called the Founder Effect. Including people of African ancestry in genetic study will likely uncover unique genetic variation that help scientists better understand conditions that affect people of African ancestry, who thus far have not benefited from many of the breakthroughs in genetic science. Yielding Results 23andMe’s efforts to improve diversity in its research has yielded results. The most promising is that we now have one of the largest groups, if not the largest, group of African Americans who […]

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Media

Stream of Consciousness Saturday #SoCS

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  This is my first go participating Stream of Consciousness Saturday #SoSC, if I miss something please point it out, nicely. 🙂 Television was a step closer to the internet by way of seeing images for the first time. Much like the radio brought words to books. I’ve seen photos and painting of people gathered around the radio, more imagination is needed to listen and draw the story in your mind. I had two favorite shows, Popeye and Gunsmoke. Sounds like a strange combo, I was a grandpa’s girl and Gunsmoke was his show. Looking at both now and then, it’s often the good guys against the bad. Melinda For more on the Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit Linda Hill’s blog. Here’s the link: https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/18/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-19th/ Here are the rules for SoCS: 1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write. 2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop. 3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For […]

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Media

Want to save your mental energy for the stuff that really matters? Set a decision budget

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Ideas.Ted.com Jan 9, 2019 / Dave Asprey Watch his TEDxConstitutionDrive talk here: ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave Asprey is a Silicon Valley investor and technology entrepreneur. He has spent over two decades and $1 million to hack his own biology and be a better husband, father and entrepreneur. Asprey is the creator of Bulletproof Coffee, founder of the Bulletproof Executive blog, host of the […]

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Family

Will Alexa Become Your Next Marriage Counselor

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DECEMBER 27, 2018  While it’s estimated that nearly 93% of soon-to-be brides use the internet to plan their wedding, we might have more tech to thank when it comes to making our marriage last. According to new reports, home listening devices, like Alexa and Google Home, might have the ability to detect common problems in your relationship. These virtual assistants are always […]

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Mental Illness

Is ‘Bird Box’ About Mental Health?

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Psychology Today Shainna Ali Ph.D., LMHC A Modern Mentality   If you’re a human who uses social media, you’ve likely seen flocks of folks commenting on Netflix’s recently released psychological thriller, Bird Box. Based on the post-apocalyptic novel by Josh Malerman, the adaptation has spiked in recent popularity as Netflix claims it has been watched by over 45 million viewers in just one week.   Bird […]

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Celebrate Life

Today in History October 21

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Today was an interesting day in history. How history making was Your Day? 1934 A 17-year-old Ella Fitzgerald goes to New York’s Apollo Theater to dance on stage for Amateur Night, but opts to sing instead. She wins the competition with her renditions of Hoagy Carmichael’s ‘Judy’ and the Boswell Sisters’ ‘The Object of My Affection,’ and an American music […]

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Celebrate Life

#WATWB NBC Nightly News 10/25/18 SINGING JANITOR

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          With the constant media chatter it’s easy to fall into the negativity thrown at us. I want the media to target more compassion, good neighbor stories, tweets of support not trolls. Here’s a story that touched my heart.   SINGING JANITOR: For 37 years, janitor Freddie Wiggins has been encouraging his hospital patients with fist bumps and songs: “I bring joy in here!” We’re looking back at NBC Nightly News stories, like this one from June, that we saw our audience respond to the most this year here on our Facebook.         We Are The World  Blogfest: Spreading Stories of Positivity and Compassion in Social Media. #WATWB Your cohosts for this month are: Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Shilpa Garg, Mary Giese and Roshan Radhakrishnan Please link to them in your WATWB posts and go say hi! To add more sunshine to your week visit the link below. Have your followers click here to enter their link and join us! Bigger the #WATWB group each month, more the joy! xo M http://lookingforthelight.blog

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America

This Day In History

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1913 US Federal income tax signed into law (at 1%) by President Woodrow Wilson 1922 1st facsimile photo sent over city telephone lines, Washington, D.C. 1945 Elvis Presley‘s 1st public appearance at the age of 10 1849 American author Edgar Allan Poe is found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland under mysterious circumstances; it is the last time he […]

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Freedom of Speech

Friday Quote

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Here is my advice as we begin the century that will lead to 2081. First, guard the freedom of ideas at all costs. Be alert that dictators have always played on the natural human tendency to blame others and to oversimplify. And don’t regard yourself as a guardian of freedom unless you respect and preserve the rights of people you […]

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Child Abuse

Sexual Assault of Men and Boys

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Why doesn’t Sexual Assault of men and boys receive equal, mainstream media coverage as Women? We have to help change to allow healing. Sexual Assault does not discriminate! Joyful Heart Foundation partnered with 1 in 6 to create awareness and initiatives creating a safe environment to discuss trauma with peers. Please check out both organizations for support or how you can help volunteer today.  M […]

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Abuse

June is LGBTQ Pride Month

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June is LGBTQ Pride Month, when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning people and their allies celebrate diversity, progress, and pride. This month, Joyful Heart reaffirms our support for survivors of all sexual orientations and gender identities or expressions. Sexual and domestic violence can happen in all different relationships and to anyone. Respecting survivors’ diverse identities and experiences is essential. Many survivors face obstacles when it comes to disclosing their experiences or seeking help. However, these hurdles can be amplified for LGBTQ survivors who fear being “outed” to their friends and families, or who fear being discriminated against in the legal, medical, or criminal justice systems. Throughout the month, we will share resources, including our blog post: 5 Facts About Sexual and Domestic Violence in LGBTQ Communities. It takes courage for a survivor of sexual or domestic violence to share their story with anyone. Never underestimate your power to affect the course of a survivor’s healing journey. With hope, Sarah Haacke Byrd Managing Director Joyful Heart Foundation

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Advocacy

Do You Read My Tweets?

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It’s been almost a year since I started working on Twitter with charities and organizations that are close to my heart. I feel great to have almost 5,000 followers but this means nothing if you are not reading the great resources. Subjects like Mental Health, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Suicide and more. I only reblog tweets that have value to […]

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Crazy?

Where’s Waldo, Where’s The Reblog Button?

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After chatting with WordPress Support about the Reblog button not working, I learn they already know and no completion date is given. From my own experience not everyone is effected. Here’s a link I was given to show tracking process. I asked if the link included a completion date I received no answer. We are tracking it here: https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/issues/22491 WP.comTue, […]

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Advocacy

Survivors Blog Here Welcomes Heidi Sullivan from Braving Mental Illness

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Survivors Blog Here is thrilled to announce Heidi Sullivan is our newest Contributor. Heidi is inspirational and committed to helping people with Mental Health challenges. Please stop by to meet Heidi and check out her personal site http://www.bravingmentalillness.com I took the below information from Heidi’s ”About Me”page. She is so committed to share, help and answer questions. She is committed and […]

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Abuse

RAINN: Stalking Awareness Month

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  Stalking When you learn more about stalking behaviors, you’re more likely to notice them before they escalate, and you can take steps to protect yourself. If you discover you are being stalked—either in-person, online, or via technology—it can be unsettling and even dangerous. Consider taking steps to protect yourself or involve an authority figure who can help you. What is stalking? […]

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Alcohol

What It All Means

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This video floored me, it’s real for me, he spoke works to come from my mouth, Jim was able to show the guts, inside, raw communication and how struggles are battled. I ran across this last week, I don’t know who to give credit to. I’ve watched over and over and each time I see one of my dark times, suicidal journeys and crawling back from hell. I hope you will watch and reblog on. Everyone can learn from the inside look of depression.  M

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Media

Which of these habits are keeping you from being a great communicator? — ideas.ted.com

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Yes, we all do these things, but they can suck the life from your conversations, says sound consultant Julian Treasure. Read this and strengthen your gift of gab. Over the years, I’ve identified a set of common emotional drivers that suck the power out of communication. I call them the four leeches. Most people —… via Which of these habits are keeping you from being a great communicator? — ideas.ted.com

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Bullying

Don’t Want Your Post Reblogged?

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What happens when my posts get reblogged? An excerpt will be published on the re bloggers site (with a link back to your original post), and you’ll receive a reblog notification in the post comments ( you might need to approve comments first). You’ll also receive an email notification of the reblog. You’ll also receive an email notification of the […]

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Caregiver

How should we talk about mental health?

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IDEAS.TED.COM DEC 18, 2013 / Thu-Huong Ha Mental health suffers from a major image problem. One in every four people experiences mental health issues — yet more than 40 percent of countries worldwide have no mental health policy. Across the board it seems like we have no idea how to talk about it respectfully and responsibly. Stigma and discrimination are […]

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Advocacy

Change.org Petition: Equifax Breach

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Change.org IMPORTANT PETITION   Regardless of where or when a data breach occurs, it leaves people feeling powerless and helpless; confused and angry.  The ITRC has been tracking data breaches for more than a decadeand we hear from the victims of these breaches on a near-daily basis. Breaches of really sensitive personal information like social security numbers are nothing new, […]

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America

Why are Books Banned or Burned?

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At the end of September, libraries and bookstores everywhere will be celebrating “Banned Books Week.” This got us thinking: why do people ban books (or, in extreme cases, burn them)? Literature is such a fundamental part of human life, and yet time and time again throughout history there have been concerted efforts to suppress or destroy certain books. These days, […]

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Abuse

Paterno knew about Sandusky’s child sex abuse before 2001: report

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What did Joe Paterno know and when did he know it? According to an explosive new CNN report published Saturday, the legendary ex-Penn State football coach may have known about Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of young boys years before Sandusky’s 2011 arrest. CNN obtained a Pennslyvania police report that described Paterno’s reaction to whistleblower Mike McQueary showing up in his […]

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Advocacy

Supreme Court Turns Away Challenge to Conversion Therapy Ban

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May 01, 2017 Supreme Court Turns Away Challenge to Conversion Therapy Ban The Supreme Court today left standing a lower court decision that the conversion therapy ban in California is legal.  By declining to consider that case, the Court allowed the state ban to stay on the books, and by extension, the bans in five other states as well.  The lead plaintiff, an ordained minister and licensed family therapist in San Diego, sued the State of California on the grounds that the state law violates his freedom of religion and therefore is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court chose not to review that case.  The plaintiff was joined a psychiatrist and a man who underwent conversion therapy and now aspires to perform it on others.  The plaintiff had previously sued California on the grounds that its conversion therapy ban violated his freedom of speech, and that challenge also failed. By upholding California’s ban, the Supreme Court protected the bans in Oregon, Illinois, Vermont, New Jersey, and New Mexico from the same type of challenge.  A dozen other states have been considering bans this year in their state legislatures. The process of enacting a ban in every state would be drawn-out and in some states, a long shot at best.  Members of Congress have just introduced bills in the House and Senate that would make it illegal to accept payment for conversion therapy or to advertise that service, on the grounds that it […]

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Advocacy

Conversation: Autism and Bullying

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Our friendship began on Twitter, She’s a lovely women. We talked most days about James Bay, she helped James while he was on tour. We are both addicted to JB!  We always had videos or photos to share. Her son was beaten terribly by another Autistic boy in his class. It was heart breaking to hear the school didn’t even call her. She found out when he came home from school, devastated, he was closed off, barely spoke. A fight broke out in the cafeteria, another Autistic boy beat her son so badly he came home and left hospital in a full leg brace, broken ankle, bruises all over his body from being kicked repeatedly. I have to add the bully was known for violence. She hired a lawyer, the school had not taken action. She was allowed watch the video of the fight, tears flowing, hands shaking, she was in a state of shock. She is brave enough to say her son will not return to school until an investigation is completed.  A complete investigation should bring the truth to the surface, it’s all on tape!  I believe other parents are concerned about their children. Every school must have an escalation plan, teachers and school administration are taught, “How to see trouble starting” I believe the monitors are accountable for their lack of action. Bottom line, School Administration is responsible for all their employees. I thought about how many blog about their […]

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Abuse

Chelsea Manning may receive Nine Years added to her 35 year sentence

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URGENT PLEASE READ NEW CHARGES AGAINST CHELSEA MANNING At this time, Chelsea Manning is not receiving adequate Psychological Counseling. Chelsea is a Trans being forced to serve out her sentence in an ALL-MALE Maximum Security Prison. Although Chelsea tries to stay focus on her writing and advocacy, being a woman in an all-male prison is dehumanizing and exhausting emotionally, according to ACLU. The post in long but worth reading, someday it could be you. The next post is short.    Outraged,  Melinda    Chelsea Manning faces new charges, indefinite solitary confinement, related to suicide attempt Posted 17:08 EDT on July 28, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, July 28, 2016 Contact: Christina DiPasquale, christina@balestramedia.com, 202.716.1953   U.S government has systematically abused imprisoned whistleblower, continues to deny access to gender related health care LEAVENWORTH, KS––Imprisoned whistleblower Chelsea Manning reported to attorneys and friends that she received a document from Army officials today informing her that she is being investigated for serious new charges related to her July 5th, 2016 attempt to take her own life. If convicted of these bizarre “administrative offenses,” she could be placed in indefinite solitary confinement for the remainder of her sentence. Chelsea has been systematically mistreated by the U.S. government since she was first taken into custody in 2010, including long stretches of solitary confinement (which the UN considers to be a form of torture), which she was subjected to for 9 months, even before she had ever been […]

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Abuse

US Government abusing Whistleblower Chelsea Manning, Columnist for The Guardian

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Urgent Please Read, Chelsea Manning needs your help Please read the critical information on Chelsea Manning, the Whistleblower who uncovered some of the Governments worst abuses. Chelsea is a Transgender woman being forced to serve out her sentence in an all-male prisonI have two additional post on Chelsea Manning including the Charge Sheet The Military Police Investigators. The additional charges are related to Chelsea trying to commit suicide on July 5, 2016. The organizations Fight For The Future and ACLU are urgently working to inform the public.      Outraged,  Melinda  URGENT: The U.S. government systematically abused whistleblower Chelsea Manning until she tried to take her own life. Now they’re trying to charge her for it. Sign the petition to stop this inhumane punishment. After years of extreme mistreatment, having been held in conditions that the UN considers to be torture, Chelsea Manning, the Guardian columnist and whistleblower who has been in prison for years serving a 35 year sentence for exposing some of the U.S. government’s worst abuses, attempted to take her own life July 5th, 2016. Now, Army officials have informed her that she is facing serious new charges directly related to her suicide attempt. This is an outrage. Click here to sign the petition telling the government not to charge Chelsea Manning with a crime for her own suicide attempt. Chelsea called supporters on the phone to inform us of the new charges. They include: 1) Resisting the […]

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Abuse

Twenty Minutes of Rape

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Information provided by RAINN SHARE THIS ARTICLE: Twenty Minutes of Rape June 22, 2016 “I so admire this woman, who had the guts to expose what she is going through and share it with the world.” Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL) offered these thoughts on a night when a bipartisan group of 18 members of Congress stood in solidarity, each reading parts of a victim impact statement written by the survivor of a brutal sexual assault that occurred on Stanford University’s campus in 2014. The story has resonated around the world. In March of 2016, 20-year-old Brock Turner was convicted of three felony counts: sexually penetrating an unconscious person with a foreign object; sexually penetrating an intoxicated person with a foreign object; and assault with an intent to commit rape. Despite the finding of guilt and the brutal details of the crime—which involved a college party, an incapacitated and unconscious victim, and bystanders intervening when they discovered the victim behind a dumpster not far from campus—Judge Aaron Perksy decided to impose a sentence of only six months. This sentence was far less than the six years recommended by prosecutors, and only one-quarter of the normal two-year minimum sentence. Persky avoided minimum sentence by finding that “unusual circumstances” existed. The short sentence shocked many, as did a statement written by the perpetrator’s father defending his son’s “20 minutes of action.” Bringing national attention to the case, CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield spent more […]

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Awards

Robert Goldstein Awarded Me Versatile Blogger Award

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WOW! Mission Control we landed without to many Starbucks stops. I’m thrilled to receive The Versatile Blogger Award from Robert Goldstein at http://www.robertmgoldstein.com. Robert is a generous spirit. Thank you for choosing my blog worthy of The Versatile Award. Robert has a mental illness called DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder. He is open about the struggles he face. He is a strong advocate for Mental Illness, the treatment patients receive at medical health facilities. Please check out his site, which includes artwork, short stories and Advocacy work. He’s an all around great guy. He always has my back! The rules for receiving Versatile Blogger Award  Thank the person who nominated you Display award Tell 7 things about yourself Nominate  Bloggers who are worthy Tell us 7 things about yourself Buy old cameras I’m a MAC/Apple lover Passion for Photography Collect old leather books I’m afraid a snake will bite me when I go in to garage Cleaning Gramps pieces and parts, old mechanical item. Organized Nominate 10 Bloggers https://apatientvoice.com https://piecesofbipolar.wordpress.com http://www.Hypervigilant.org http://www.aheartafire.wordpress.com http://www.juststuffifoundontheinternet.wordpress.com http://www.charlypriest.wordpress.com http://www.coffeegrinder.wordpress.com http://www.piecesofbipolar.com http://www.autismthoughts.wordpress.com http://www.fonzandcancer.com I’m smiling, it’s new day, Xx  M

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Freedom of Speech

Throw Back Thursday * Sweet Memories From The Past*

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Throw Back Thursday started over two years ago. Thank you for following me and leaving comments. I enjoy the comments, it’s also an education as I look for tunes each week. The 24 hour request line is open. I’m dedicating  “Don’t Let Me Down” to Tangled Up In Music (by Ovidio Boar). We met today and his blog is awesome, most everything you want to know about music. Check him out. Time to get down and loud!  Xx  M

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