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Sunday Worship - Looking back at Dr. King’s dream

2010-01-18T12:00:00Z

This past Sunday, I visited a racially diverse Church in the Upstate of South Carolina. The praise and worship was phenomenal. As we joined hands to sing I am free, I couldn’t help but to notice the tears that were streaming down the faces of members of the congregation. In my experience, Sundays tend to be quite segregated in the South. In most of our Churches, people of different races don’t worship together. Thus, it was a blessing to see the members of Restoration Restoration during Dream weekend was fulfilling.

Organizations helping Haiti

2010-01-16T21:00:00Z

Our prayers go to the natives and residents of Haiti. What a heart-wrenching situation! I found this list of organizations helping Haiti on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34835478/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/ Please see the organizations below:

· Action Against Hunger, 877-777-1420

· Agape Flights, 941-584-8078

· American Red Cross, 800-733-2767

· American Refugee Committee, 800-875-7060

· American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, 212-687-6200

· American Jewish World Service, 212-792-2900

· AmeriCares, 800-486-4357

· Beyond Borders, 866-424-8403

· B'nai B'rith International, 202-857-6600

· CARE, 800-521-2273

· CarmaFoundation

· Catholic Relief Services, 800-736-3467

· Childcare Worldwide, 800-553-2328

· Church World Services, 800-297-1516

· Clinton Foundation, 501-748-0471
Text "HAITI" to 20222 to donate $10 to Haiti relief

· Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

· Concern Worldwide, 212-557-8000

· Convoy of Hope, 417-823-8998

· Cross International, 800-391-8545

· CRUDEM Foundation, 413-642-0450

· CRWRC, 800-55-CRWRC

· Direct Relief International, 805-964-4767

· Doctors Without Borders, 888-392-0392

· Episcopal Relief and Development, 800-334-7626

· Feed My Starving Children, 763-504-2919

· Food for the Poor, 800-427-9104

· Friends of WFP, 866-929-1694

· Friends of the Orphans, 312-386-7499

· Habitat for Humanity, 1-800-422-4828

· Haiti Children, 877-424-8454

· Haiti Foundation Against Poverty

· Haiti Marycare, 203-675-4770

· Haitian Health Foundation, 860-886-4357

· Healing Hands for Haiti, 651-769-5846

· Hope for Haiti, 239-434-7183

· International Child Care, 800-722-4453

· International Medical Corps, 800-481-4462

· International Rescue Committee, 877-733-8433

· International Relief Teams, 619-284-7979

· Islamic Relief USA, 888-479-4968

· Lions Club International Foundation, 630-203-3836

· Lutheran World Relief, 800-597-5972

· Medical Benevolence Foundation, 800-547-7627

· Medical Teams International, 800-959-4325

· Meds and Food for Kids, 314-420-1634

· Mennonite Central Committee, 888-563-4676

· Mercy Corps, 888-256-1900

· Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, 800-306-9950

· New Life for Haiti, 815-436-7633

· Operation Blessing, 800-730-2537

· Operation USA, 800-678-7255

· Oxfam, 800-776-9326

· Partners in Health, 617-432-5298

· RHEMA International, 248-652-9894

· Rural Haiti Project, 347-405-5552

· The Salvation Army, 800-725-2769

· Samaritan's Purse, 828-262-1980

· Save the Children, 800-728-3843

· ShelterBox

· UN Central Emergency Response Fund

· UNICEF, 800-367-5437

· United Methodist Committee on Relief, 800-554-8583

· World Concern, 800-755-5022

· World Hope International, 888-466-4673

· World Relief, 800-535-5433

· World Vision, 888-511-6548

· Yele Haiti, 212-352-0552
Wyclef Jean's grassroots org
Text Yele to 501501 to donate $5 via cellphone

What about Harry Reid

2010-01-15T23:22:00Z

Mr. Reid’s choice of words regarding POTUS’ accent (dialect) and complexion were in poor taste. However, truth be told, how many of us have commented on POTUS’ African American traits? Is POTUS your average African American? I was just wondering.

Our Legacy

2010-01-08T11:00:00Z

Happy New Year to you my friends. Thank you for the personal get-well messages during my bout with the flu. As I considered my New Year’s resolutions, I couldn’t help but to wonder about my legacy. Am I doing anything that will have a positive impact on my family, friends’ community or country’s life? Last year, my friend Maame shared a testimony with me after attending her mother-in-law’s life celebration. Maame was impressed and touched by the good deeds and commitment espoused by her dearly departed. Shortly after Maame shared her story, I read about the gruesome killing of Major Mefful, a UN staff, Light House Chapel Pastor and Learned Fellow in Afghanistan. From the tributes read, I gathered that Major Mefful’s stalwart commitment and service to his Church and the UN was commendable. On TV, I listened to the heroic deeds of our war heroes. And who could have missed Michael Jackson’s passing last year? The list goes on…

Well, my friends, it’s about time that I resolve to give more of myself to my loved ones. I may not be able to have as huge of an impact as our celebrities, but I should be able to shine in my corner. Therefore, please join with me, in my quest to be a better person. Happy New Year to us all.

Racism – Don’t shake it off

2009-12-16T12:01:00Z

It’s been a month since my last post. I trust that you’ve been keeping well. I know that Christmas is near and that I should be spreading cheer but I can’t seem to shake off the effect of the racist remarks that I have heard in recent days. This morning as my little one clung to me, I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of not being able to protect him from the racial uncertainties that I have begun to fear. Growing up in a predominantly Black Nation, I did not experience the woes of racial discrimination during my formative years. However, in these past months, I continue to marvel at the extent of hatred, based on the color of one’s skin. It breaks my heart, when people that I know continue to utter unwarranted racially biased statements. I want my child to grow up knowing the fear of the Lord and to love his neighbor. Fortunately, he attends a great school, where discrimination has not been a factor. Nevertheless, I am so afraid of the unknown.

As I write, I have tears streaming down my face. Thanks to the social media, I have been reading the venom that some of our ‘colleagues’ have been spewing about people of color. I know that life is not a fairy tale, but I am repulsed that individuals who proclaim to be God-fearing and people-loving are constantly uttering derogatory statements about people of my race. I am sorry, but I cannot shake the disgust at the pit of my stomach. My friends don’t be fooled into thinking that racism and discrimination is from the non-enlightened. No, the culprit could easily be your college friend, that pious person in your Church group, your friendly muffin-baking neighbor... The list goes on.

In the land of the brave and the free, I wish for great opportunities for my child. I know there are several successful Blacks in the U.S., but I cannot help but to wonder what these individuals discuss at their kitchen tables. As I sit behind my computer this morning, I must say that I am disillusioned by the tide of racism that I am experiencing. Although I am grateful to my diverse portfolio of friends who stand by my family through sickness, health, recitals, sports festivities, good times and bad times, I remain afraid of the hatred that is being spewed by ‘the others’ on a daily basis. Despite the atrocities and venom of racism, I hope I am able to train my child in the best way possible… So help me God.

Living a full life - In memory of Eugene

2009-11-13T10:56:00Z

Today would have been my friend Eugene’s birthday. Happy birthday Goza. Eugene lost his battle to cancer six months ago. He left behind a beautiful wife and three adorable children. Who would have thought that such a vibrant life would be cut so short? We never know what is in store for our future. Eugene, you are gone, but you would not be forgotten. The Goza man remains in our memories and our hearts. We will not forget your jokes and your laughter. You did not just pass through my friend, you had a positive impact on several lives. Whenever, we remember you, we talk about what a fun person you were. Good memories Goza man, good memories. The way you led your life, was obvious in the tributes that you received.

Therefore my friends, let’s not forget to make that phone call that we have been procrastinating about. Go ahead enroll in that dancing class. Go and see that football game. Play with your children. Let your friends and families know how much you love and appreciate them. Forgive your enemies (I know, that is a hard one). Don’t sweat the small stuff! Kick back and enjoy life. Now, if you are like me, who believes in heaven and hell, you had better make peace with your God. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Tie the ‘nuts and bolts’. Live your life to the fullest.

Do you question going green?

2009-11-12T11:18:00Z

Often times I have wondered about the validity of climate change. Thus, I am open to reading materials that advocate for or dispute climate change. My most recent ‘green read’ was Al Gore’s book, ‘Our Choice’ (in favor of climate change). Mr. Gore’s book illustrates where our energy comes from, where it goes, what is happening to our living systems, how we use energy and the obstacles that we need to overcome. I was thrilled about the contents of Mr. Gore’s book and thought I would share it with some friends. However, my friends were not so impressed with Mr. Gore’s assertions. They are of the view that global warming is not real, and that Mr. Gore cooked up the theory of global warming. This was not the first time that I was hearing about the fallacy of global warming.

In the past, I have heard stories that indicate that warmer winters would give farmers a longer harvest season, and might end the droughts in the Sahara Dessert Lou Dobb’s 4:22 p.m. Twitter update stated that: “Spain, with a jobless rate of almost 18%, calculates that 2.2 jobs are destroyed for every so-called "green job" created by govt. mandate” (Dobbs, 2009). Well, considering that I am no scientific expert, I do not dispute the anti-green stand. However, just in case global warming is indeed true, I am willing to try living a greener lifestyle.

References

RT @Loudobbsnews Spain , with a jobless rate of almost 18%,calculates that 2.2 jobs are

destroyed for every so-called "green job" created by govt. mandate.

Stossel, J. (2007). The global warming myth. Retrieved November 09, 2009 from

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3061015&page=1

Thank you to our Vets

2009-11-11T11:11:00Z

For the bravery that our veterans show, we are forever grateful. Today, we speak about the heroic deeds of our Veterans. We thank our Veterans and their families for their selfless services. However, I wonder how many times we think about the well-being of our Veterans or Veteran families during the year. Until tragedy hits close to home, we are often in oblivion about the war and suffering that goes on around us. Not only are our Veterans sacrificing their lives for us, but also their families embark on their arduous journey with them. Therefore, to our Vets I say: For the selfless service of an honorable profession, we are eternally grateful to you and your families.

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How guilty is Keith Bardwell, the Louisiana Justice of Peace?

2009-11-05T00:28:00Z

Justice Quits after Interracial Flap is the title of a November 4, 2009 article, written by Melinda Deslatte of the Associated Press. From the responses and reactions to the article, it seems that several people do not agree with Mr. Bardwell’s position on interracial marriage. It’s unfortunate that Mr. Bardwell refused to marry an interracial couple, based on his belief system rather than his professional ethic. Although, Mr. Bardwell is entitled to his beliefs about interracial marriages and offspring thereafter, he should have done his job by marrying the couple. In my experience, just like inter-religious, inter-cultural or any marriage between two individuals from different backgrounds, interracial marriages have a 50/50 chance of success. Let’s face it, no marriage is bulletproof.

It is unfortunate that we focus on the disparities between Blacks and Whites or Hispanics and Whites when discussing interracial marriages. I believe that the problem is far bigger than a marriage between two different races. Rather, it is about the cultural differences between the two parties. For example, within the African culture, some Nigerians will ‘turn over in the grave’ if their child were to marry a Ghanaian. A couple of years ago, I remember the angry reaction from my Bangladeshi cohort when I tried to ‘hook’ him up with an Indian colleague. And when my Hindu friend got engaged to her Christian boyfriend, all hell broke lose in both families. I remember the Caucasian woman who cut ties with her friend because her daughter supposedly had a crush on her friend's black son. In some households, there is uproar when one decides to marry from a different tribe. Some Yorubas have a problem with Ibos, Some Ewes have a problem with Ashantis… and the list goes on.

Despite the cons of interracial, cultural, tribal or religious unions, we must note that, several of these unions and offspring are thriving. Although, I have heard some mixed-race individuals complain about their sense of ‘non-belonging’, there are several mixed individuals, who do not encounter identity problems. In fact, some of the mixed-race individuals that I know have thrived in certain environments just because they are mixed.

We must note that, although there is an increase in interracial marriage trends, there are several people out there, who do not support mixed Unions. In Mr. Bardwell’s case, he mixed his personal values with his business' ethics when he shouldn’t have. But, who knows what Mr. Bardwell has seen in his lifetime?

A solution to healthcare reform in the United States

2009-10-28T21:58:00Z

Have any of you stayed overnight at a hospital recently? I was shocked at the bill that I received from ‘my’ hospital and its affiliate doctors after my most recent stay. A night at the hospital will pay your five-day ‘best rate’ stay at the Waldorf Astoria! To think that sometimes you end up sharing your hospital room with a total stranger who gets on your nerves. And, woe to you if you dare upgrade to a private room. To me, the health insurance business is one moneymaking venture. When we pay health insurance costs, we do so with the intent to mitigate our future healthcare costs. Why then do we end up having to pay so much in healthcare costs? I only began to understand this healthcare pain when I needed healthcare services that extended beyond my yearly physical. I don’t know about you, but I think we desperately need an overhaul of our healthcare delivery system.

Without healthcare delivery and insurance reform, attempts at healthcare reform will probably not amount to much. The currently proposed “America’s affordable health choices act of 2009” bill seeks to expand healthcare coverage to approximately 40 million Americans and to reduce growth in healthcare spending. This sounds like a great idea. But, wait a minute, what kind of services will be covered? Although I have insurance, I am paying through my teeth for health services. Are we trying to extend these additional costs to approximately 40 million Americans? Some may argue that the uninsured cannot afford the rising cost of healthcare, thus a bill that seeks to extend coverage and reduce costs will be beneficial to us all.

However, the insured cannot also afford the rising cost of healthcare. Therefore, to me, the problem lies with the cost of healthcare and not just the availability. Why am I being charged over $1500 a night to stay in an uncomfortable hospital bed? Well, call me selfish, but the current version of the healthcare reform bill is not going to solve my cost problem.

See, my question is, if we don’t fix our health insurance, pharmaceutical and hospital costs, can we really provide all Americans with quality healthcare? Even when one has private health insurance, healthcare does not come cheap. Not only do you have to meet your deductible and co-pays for most insurance plans, but also, you have to pay the co-pay amounts for your prescription drugs. How then can we make healthcare affordable for all?

In recent weeks, I have heard several comparisons of the U.S. healthcare system to that of Canada, England, France and several other countries. Maybe we could all get ‘free’ healthcare and ‘free’ medication. Well, do you know that some of the citizens of these countries are disenchanted with the type of health services provided? Do you know how long it takes to obtain a CT scan or MRI in these countries? According to Parker (2004), the median wait time for a CT scan in Canada is 5.5 weeks. Depending on your ailment, you may not have that much time to live. In 2004, Parker indicated that the wait time for a referral by a GP for a consultation with a specialist was running about 8.3 weeks. I know that Parker's information is from 2004 and may be dated. However, a Canadian friend of mine told me recently that, he had to wait 10 weeks for his specialist consultation. Another (Canadian) colleague had to wait 4 months in order to obtain an MRI. Some of my British and French friends have been complaining about the doctor bribery trends. Are you familiar with the instances where patients bribe doctors in order to jump the healthcare queue? Like the American healthcare system, the healthcare systems in several countries are not perfect either.

Solution

We need to make a bi-partisan effort to find a solution to our healthcare woes. This is what I was thinking… Just like we have our public and private schools, is it possible to have government-run and private-run hospitals? If we went to the government hospitals, we would get our meds and care for ‘free’ or pay a subsidized amount. However, if we went to the private hospitals, we would have to pay for our care through our insurance or from out of pocket. Maintaining the private hospitals ensures that we don't put the insurance companies and private enterprises out of business. This is because there are several households, who are employed by our private enterprises and we wouldn't want an increase in unemployment. After all, during times, when we may not be able to afford a long wait at our government-run hospitals, we could obtain services from our private hospitals (if we can afford to). I know someone is ranting, raving and wondering about the financial responsibilities tied to the government-run hospitals. Well, unfortunately, we the taxpayers will have to support such an endeavor. Considering that we are paying to sustain our public school systems, we should be able to find a way to pay for healthcare. Remember, we are not obliged to choose a government-run hospital over a private hospital. We are always welcome to choose private care if we can afford the costs. As you know, I'm just sharing my thoughts here and there. Thus, I will appreciate your feedback, thoughts and alternate solutions to our healthcare predicament.

Please note that the above suggested solution is the writer's opinion.

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Is true equality a farce?

2009-10-23T20:35:00Z

The last time I checked the Black’s Law dictionary, equality was described as “the quality or state of being equal” (Garner, 2004, p. 576). Equality before the law on the other hand, means “the status or condition of being treated fairly according to regularly established norms of justice” p. 577. Well, I think that these definitions are more of textbook definitions than that of human nature. Can we really attain true equality? Would a hate crime bill deter us from hating each other?

Our culture, belief system, religion, socio economic status and upbringing has an impact on the way we treat others. We all seem to have these stereotypes in our head. I mean, don’t we all pretend to be accommodating of each other at one point in time. But, what do we really think of each other when we are sitting at our kitchen tables. What do we talk about when we are in the confines of our homes? What are our innermost thoughts? How many times have we pulled the race card when nobody is watching? Every now and then, we slip and utter a word or two that may land us in trouble. But, until we ‘get caught’ we are the epitome of Equality.

Not to mention names, but isn’t it always embarrassing to find out that a public figure we all admire, has some derogatory or demeaning things to say about us? Isn’t it sad that my Caucasian friend cannot speak her mind about that incident with the little black girl for fear of being labeled racist. How many times do we pull the race or gender card in our own favor? Mind you, I am not talking about the obvious racists and bigamists. Those folks belong to a different league altogether. I’m more concerned about the supposedly nice ones. Me and you. Yes, that’s right. Those of us, who seem to love all human kind. We have a bigger role to play in the effort to attain equality. We are so set in our ways and have already made up our minds about the next individual who comes along. It is harder for us to adjust our ‘vision’ because we desperately want to believe that we are propagators of equality. The sad part is that our children may just learn their human relations ethic from us. Well, it’s about time that we start accepting that we are just not able to like everyone or treat everyone equally. However, we should learn to respect our fellow humans. The best we can do is to keep on trying to promote equality in our lives. But, as to when the citizens of this world will be Utopian enough to be equal, I have no idea.

Reference

Garner, B. (2004). Black’s Law Dictionary. Thomson West (8^th ed) St. Paul, MN.

Reduce your risk of breast cancer

2009-10-19T04:56:00Z

In your lifetime, you will encounter someone who has suffered from some form of cancer. This individual may be part of your immediate family, an extended family member, a friend, neighbor or a mere acquaintance. Earlier this year, we lost a colleague to breast cancer. She battled the disease for five years, but could not hold on any longer. She left behind, a young husband and three young children. About a month later, one of my friends lost his battle to cancer. My friend, who was so full of energy, left behind a loving wife and three young children. It breaks my heart, to think that his life was cut so short by this deadly disease. Barely a week after my friend’s death, another friend lost her brother-in-law to cancer within six weeks of being diagnosed. Cancer has brought such sorrow to many households. My heart goes out to all who are battling this disease. I wish you comfort, courage, strength and success as you fight this good fight.

One way or the other we all need to educate ourselves about cancer. Our knowledge empowers us with the courage to reduce our risk, fight the disease as well as contribute towards a cure.
Over the weekend, I read several articles on the topic of breast cancer. Although some of the stories were heart wrenching, I stumbled across a few stories that offered hope and advice. In as much as breast cancer is a woman’s disease, we need to recognize that the disease could strike our children and our men. We may not be able to prevent the occurrence of the disease. However, as long as we have the breadth and the will, we can continue to work towards reducing our risk, fight the disease as well as contribute towards a cure. Please find below, some stories on the risk reduction and treatment of breast cancer:

Empower yourself by reading about 25 Breast cancer myths and understandings

Knowledge is power: 8 ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer

Learn the facts: Breast cancer treatment and side effects

Sustain a healthy lifestyle: Healthy habits prevent many breast tumors

Inspirational story on life after breast cancer: After breast cancer, they can rebuild me

Once there is life, there is hope. Visit the Pink Ribbon Shop for Breast cancer survival stories
Not your average breast cancer patient from Dr. Manny Alvarez of Fox News – Watch

Wishing us all the very best of luck as we continue to search for a cure.

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Save money - Green your lifestyle

2009-10-15T21:45:00Z

Whenever I read about global warming, I tend to wonder about posterity. Would my great grandkids be able to inhabit this planet that we call earth? Who knows, maybe humans will be able to live on other planets within the next century. But, until we get there, we need to protect the environment within which we live. Whether we believe in green technology or not, it wouldn’t hurt us to modify our lifestyles if we could be getting a ‘bang’ for our buck. There are several reasons why we need to green our lifestyles. These include but are not limited to:

Future survival
Healthier lifestyles
Social responsibility

Action Plan

Future survival – We need to use our resources effectively. Most of our actions affect the climate. Activities such as driving, cooling our homes, burning trash and polluting our waters could all have an adverse effect on climate change. Global warming experts indicate that spewing greenhouse gases into the air will accelerate global warming.

If we drove less, we will be saving money on fuel. Let’s plan our trips before we set out on our errands. Let us carpool or have our children take the school bus as much as possible. By regulating the heating and cooling in our homes, we are likely to save money on our electric and gas bills. For example in the winter, the lower the temperature on the thermostat, the more likely you are to save on your bill. By leaving your thermostat on 69 degrees Fahrenheit, you will be paying a lower heating bill than your neighbor whose heat is on 73 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summers, keep your air conditioners at higher temperatures. I know several folks that have gone as high as 78 degrees Fahrenheit, yet felt comfortable within their homes. I’ve tried it and I’m liking the extra money that I’m saving on my bills. It’s all about our legacy. What are we leaving behind for posterity?

Healthier lifestyles – When we reduce the ‘chemical stews’ that we are using, we lesson some of our health risks. Considering the possible effects of the environment on human health, environmental health continues to be a growing area of study. Concerns include air quality, food safety and climate change.

Maybe if we walked, instead of drove to our neighbor’s house, not only would we be exercising (which is good for our health), but also we would be reducing our carbon footprint. Financial benefits of a healthier lifestyle include, the opportunity to get a better quote on your life insurance, staying healthy for your paycheck and spending less money on healthcare costs.

Social responsibility – Apply the concept of do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Practicing green through social responsibility is like paying it forward. We can teach others to be green by example. Some of our socially responsible actions include donating items that we no longer need, recycling, reusing items, going paperless with our bills and refraining from printing non-vital information. By donating items that we no longer need to groups like the Salvation Army, we would be able to include our donation as an itemized deduction on our taxes. You will probably enjoy saving a little bit of money on your tax return. Did you know that some States would pay you 5 cents per bottle or can if you turned in your recycling to a grocery store? That doesn’t sound like much, but a little bit here and there helps. By going paperless with your bills, some utility companies will offer you a one-time or recurring discount on your bill. Even if you don’t get a discount for going paperless, remember all the trees that you’ll be saving. Lastly, refraining from printing vital information will help you save money on paper and ink.

If there is any lifestyle, environmental or sustainable benefit from being green, we are likely to increase our benefits by practicing and spreading the word on ‘green living’ today. Make it a moral decision to go green. Some may argue that going green may not necessarily help the environment. But, what if going green helps the environment? Thus, it doesn’t hurt to make it a moral obligation to try ‘being’ green. Besides, you could be saving some ‘Benjamin’s’ along the way.

Personal Ethics v. Business Ethics

2009-10-13T22:03:00Z

Ethics is a discipline concerned with judgments based on moral standards and the reasoning therefrom. It is not the simple reliance on values or the search for value consensus. Whereas our personal ethics are linked to our values, business ethics is the application of ethics principles to issues that arise in business (Baron, 2009). For a firm, policies must be both general and consistent and cannot be dictated by the personal values of whoever happens to occupy a particular managerial position at a particular point in time (Id).

Our social norms and personal ethics have an effect on our personal and professional lives. In situations where one’s personal ethics are in conflict with his or her organization’s ethics, the individual may choose to conform to the organization’s ethics or leave that organization. When you feel that strongly about the disconnect between your personal ethics and that of your organization, then you might as well leave. I’d say, if you cannot take the heat, get out of the oven. However, if you desperately need to remain with that organization, then I bet you can shut up, conform and put up with the pain and suffering.

Reality check

Leaving a company because of ethical conflict is easier said than done. Sometimes the individual decision-making process is tougher than anticipated. For example, how would an anti-war person who works with an ammunition manufacturing company handle the difference in ethics, if any? How about a pro-life advocate whose job requires pro choice counseling? Do you just quit your job because you don’t agree with the organization’s ethical practices? How would you cater for yourself or loved ones if you walk away? During these times of higher job losses, would it be economically feasible for you to walk away from your job because you don’t agree with the ethical decision-making process? Some argue that when your personal ethics is in conflict with your organization’s ethics, such conflict will lead to a reduction in productivity. Well, I don’t think that’s always true. For example, if your job requires you to market products that you don’t ‘believe in’, then maybe the discord between your personal ethics and that of your business could lead to a lackluster performance. However, if you are an accountant who is not necessarily exposed to the marketing or R&D portion of the job, you may be able to continue being productive. Tough decision right? Well, I guess it’s all up to you. You need to look at the big picture, weigh the pros and cons, and make the best decision for ‘you’. Also, you need to remember, not all our values are necessarily ethical.

For a complete guide to business ethics, you may read Carter McNamara’s Complete Guide to Ethics Management @ http://www.managementhelp.org/ethics/ethxgde.htm

Some good books on ethics are:

Ethics: Theory and Practice by Jacques P. Thiroux

Sleeping Dogs: Ethics in the Workplace by George Mazzeo

Business and its Environment by David P. Baron

Reference

Baron, D. P. (2009). Business and its environment (6^th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Breast cancer awareness - Get involved

2009-10-08T07:00:00Z

Kudos to my friend Steven Blanton for ‘stepping up’ for a cure during the ‘Artful bra’ exhibit. During the exhibit, Steven and his group of friends made a brief drag appearance while dancing to Mamba No.5. The event raised over $10,000 (10K). Out of the 10K, 4K was donated to the Best Chance Network. Best Chance is a South Carolina organization that helps women with clinical breast exams and mammograms. For (SC) women who cannot afford to be tested;

· If you lack insurance or have insurance that only covers hospital care

· Are between the ages of 40 and 64, and

· Meet certain income guidelines.

Learn about the Best Chance Network @ http://www.scdhec.gov/health/chcdp/cancer/bcn.htm

U.S. residents: To find a low cost screening location near you, please visit the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program @ http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/cancercontacts/nbccedp/contacts.asp

To obtain free information on patient services, please visit The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month @ http://www.nbcam.org/patient_free_information.cfm

Are you telling others about the importance of breast health?

Focus on the Issues America, Not on Mrs Obama's little black dress

2009-10-06T10:39:00Z

When I opened Internet Explorer this morning, I saw an article about Mrs. Obama’s little black wedding anniversary date dress. I thought to myself, there we go again… not staying on the issues that really matter. However, I must say that, it gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling to read that despite their busy schedules, she and her husband took out the time to go on a wedding anniversary date. I remember what happened during my anniversary... After weeks of nudging and reminding my husband, we forgot all about the d-day. We only remembered it was our anniversary around 7:00 p.m. that night. And the rest is history…

Well, back to my morning experience with the Mrs. Obama article. I couldn’t for the life of me understand the disrespect and disgust behind some of the comments posted on Stylist.com. There was a lot of name calling. However, the comment that stuck to me the most was the comment that said that the first lady was a chimp who looked like a horse. Do we really need to go that far?

One person talked about the crsico slathered on Mrs. Obama’s arms, another talked about the class that the Obamas have brought to the White House. Have we forgotten that Mrs. L. Bush, Mrs. Clinton and several other predecessors had class when they were in office? What short memories we have.

What is this great nation coming to? Can we focus on the issues and get rid of all this hatred? It’s nice to know that the Obamas are a great couple, but I bet you they’ve got their own share of troubles. Why can’t we just focus on the relevant financial, health and governmental issues? We lost 8 soldiers in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan last weekend. These soldiers have families. Who is going to take care of these families? We have hospitals charging $300 a pop for mammograms. How are the underprivileged and uninsured who don’t qualify for Medicare or Medicaid going to pay for their mammograms? How is that young uninsured family going to pay for their child’s cancer care? Who is going to rescue your neighbor who is being beat down by his or her spouse? How can we make this great nation better? We don’t need to focus on our race, religious preferences, political affiliation or class? Let’s just think about making life better for each other. And there I go, advocating for World Peace!

Please note that I found the related comments on Michelle Obama Style - It's a Little Black Dress for Wedding Anniversary Date by Bee-Shyuan Chang