Free Healthcare Visits at Walgreens Clinics
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Family, General, Health, Society & Culture
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! The Walgreens Take Care Clinics have started a program called the Take Care Recovery Plan which provides access to free healthcare visits for current and future patients, and their families, who have lost their jobs and are uninsured. The offer applies to any Take Care Clinic patient that loses his or her job on or after March 31 and has no health insurance. Any other individual that visits a Take Care Clinic as a patient after March 31, and then loses his or her job and is uninsured, may qualify for the offer for the remainder of 2009.
In a time where many Americans don’t have health insurance, I’m glad to see Walgreens offer this program. To learn more or see if you qualify, call 1-866-Take-Care (1-866-825-3227) and press 3 for Take Care Recovery Plan information.
Tomorrow is National Start! Walking Day
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, General, Health, Society & Culture
You can support the fight against heart disease Wednesday, April 8th by participating in the American Heart Association National Start! Walking Day. This is the day when adults nationwide can make the pledge to Start! walking to become active and heart healthy, especially in the workplace. Black people have a higher risk of stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes than those of other races and most of the risk factors can be corrected if we take the time to better care for ourselves.
There are many benefits to walking and its one of the easier ways to exercise and improve your overall health. Taking just 10 minutes three times a day to walk will help you live longer. In fact, studies show that just one hour of vigorous exercise will increase your life expectancy by two hours. I’ll be the first to admit that I need to do better when it comes to exercise, so you can count on my participation. All it takes is the commitment to take the first step.
Here are some tips on what you can do to support the National Start! Walking Day:
- Begin by inviting co-workers to wear their sneakers to work .
- Encourage employees to get in their 30 minutes of walking that day.
- Change one of your meetings to a walking meeting, and let your colleagues know why.
- Start! Shopping for something green to wear. It shows you support the Start! movement.
- Host a walk and/or rally to show your commitment to living longer, healthier lives.
- Get Everyone in Your Company Involved
For more information visit the National Start! Walking Day website and set up your own personal MyStart! Online Tracker to track your progress.
President Obama’s Weekly Address – 03/21/09
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, General, Obama, Politics, Society & Culture
The President reflects on lessons from his time spent outside Washington recently, which only reinforced the core principles in his budget. The budget will be his central focus throughout this week.
MakingHomeAffordable.gov
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, General, Obama, Our Rights, Personal Finance, Politics, Society & Culture, Technology
President Obama is putting web designers to work with ANOTHER website! To ensure that everyone who can take advantage of the President housing plan can do so, the Administration launched MakingHomeAffordable.gov – a site where you can find out everything you need to know about the President’s plan and whether you qualify. As it stands only loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are eligible. If you are not sure who owns your loan, you can contact Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac directly by clicking on the links below and completing the forms for each company.
Fannie Mae
- 1-800-7FANNIE (8am to 8pm EST)
- www.fanniemae.com/loanlookup
Freddie Mac
- 1-800-FREDDIE (8am to 8pm EST)
- www.freddiemac.com/mymortgage
Be sure to check out the calculator that allows homeowners to estimate the possible reduction to their monthly mortgage payment they might receive under the plan. To see the press release of the new website visit the whitehouse.gov blog.
Identity Politics on the Internet Conference
Filed under: Blog Entries, Education, General, Society & Culture, Technology
I received this information in the comments section of the previous post and thought I’d share it.
Hi guys! This Conference sounds to be great! They have very interesting panels on identity and a featured panel on Barak Obama and you can also make a real African Safari… The Institute of Identity Research (IDmap) announces an international conference on Identity Politics on the Internet to be held in Kenya on the 27th to 29th of August 2009. The aim of the Conference is to create discourse in the area of Identity politics on the Internet and other related topics.
The Conference will be graced by several leading scholars who have written and researched extensively on issues of Identity. We hope that this conference will result in solutions and better understanding of the problems facing issues of identity in the contemporary context.
AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
IDENTITY POLITICS ON THE INTERNET
August 27-29, 2009
Organized by Institute of Identity Research (IDmap)
http://www.idmap-conferences.net
Will be held in Amboseli Wildlife National Park, Kenya
Featured panel: Barack Obama’ Election and Kenyan politics of Identity:
Will he identify himself with the World or with his People?
• The deadline for submission of the Abstracts is 01.05.2009 (200-500 words) in Word or PDF formats
• The deadline for submission of full-text papers is 01.07.2009 Preliminary program of the Conference includes the following panels:
• Kenyan 2007 Presidential elections and the Internet
• Traditions and Identity in Kenyan politics: Barak Obama as a Luo representative of Kenyan identity politics
• Facebook and Identity: do old ethnicity definitions still matter?
• World Identity politics: Case-studies and Comparative Analysis
• Parties and recruitment in the digital world
• Gender, ethnicity and empowerment: what is better to be a white man or a black woman?
• When religion comes to the Internet: the new ways to build and reinforce religious identity
• Government on the Internet: new ways to preserve Nation-state and its identity on the Net
• New English and E-Linguistic: jargon and vocabulary of Internet campaigns
Participants are welcomed to join the following working groups:
• Computers and identity
• Culture and identity
• Mathematical expressions of identity
• Internet and Politics
• Internet Vocabulary
Best Identity MA/PhD Thesis work award:
During the conference the Institute will award the best MA/PhD work submitted for the evaluation. The work should reveal an original and innovative approach in the field of Identity with its expression on the Internet. Information regarding submission procedure can be found on our site or through direct contact of our Administrators.
Baby Nickolaus Effort
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Education, Family, General, Health, Life, Society & Culture
A friend of mine’s sister and her family are in need of some help and I thought I’d share it with the readers of this blog. Their son Nickolaus had a negative reaction to a vaccine and is very ill. My wife talked with Nickolaus’ mom and she urged her to be careful of who administered our child’s vaccination. I can’t imagine what this family is going through and with an eight month old, it gives us something to think consider. This is the first I’ve heard of this, so if you know of someone who can add to the vaccination discussion, please send them here to comment.
Here’s some background info on what happened:
In 2008, the number of vaccines that are given to kids is 36. There were only 10 required vaccinations 20 years ago. The chance of these vaccines having a negative effect on boys vs. girls is 5 to 1. Currently, it is affecting the immune system of our nephew which is causing numerous complications from his decline in speech and motor skills to his inability to fight off life threatening infections. Vaccination injury is an immune system issue which resembles the symptoms of Autism, so he is working with the Defeat Autism Now (DAN) group.
Right now, Baby Nickolaus is going through the Vaccine Injury Recovery Process which is expensive and not covered with this crazy U.S. Healthcare System.The Lewis Family has already spent thousands to get Baby Nickolaus well and will continue to do so…..We are asking any and everyone who reads this email to consider “Chipping In” as this journey is still not done.
I’ve seen the power of the blogosphere first-hand and know the compassion of the people who take the time to read this blog. If you are able, please take the time to donate whatever you can. On the Baby Nickolaus Effort Chip-In donation page there are some useful links and information on how to contact the family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Hello President Obama!
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Entertainment & Sports, General, Podcasts, Think Global
Who woulda thunk it! Before he announced he was officially running, I was one of those who thought Obama should have waited to let Hillary get her eight years and then take his after she was done. I figured it would guarantee the Democrats 16 years in Office. I never thought the American people would go for it. Boy was I wrong.
Today is a special day for all people. Whether you voted for him or not, Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America and is in need of your help to set this country back on track. I was never one to think he would come in a fix everything with a magic wand, but I am one who believes Obama is the change agent this country needs. I’m hoping he will continue to be open to ideas from other parties and will push all Americans to get involved in making things better for all people. We’ve been selfish for a long time and the problems we are facing today are a result of our actions. It’s time for a change in our thinking and how we view the world around us.
One thing that I’m excited about the most is that my boys will be able to grow up under the administration of a black president. It’s been funny to see him get excited when he sees a picture of Obama and he knows without us telling him who his president will be. There’s a renewed hope in what’s been accomplished and America is a better place because of it. So if you pray, let’s keep him and his family in your prayers. If you don’t pray, then wish him luck. But whatever you do, he’s going to need it because there’s a lot of work ahead of the Obama Administration.
Check out this great poem by Samira Edi entitled “Obama’s Humble Shoes”.
Staying Organized
One of my biggest issues is staying organized. With all the I have things going on, I’ve had to come up with new ways to keep my life in order. This next year, instead of using a day planner, I plan on going online. I’ve tried to keep from going there, but figured why not give it a try. My day planner will be replaced with Google Calendar and for general day-to-day tasks I’m using a website called rememberthemilk.com (RTM). Google calendar and RTM work with well with each other and both will integrate with my Windows Mobile phone.
The problem with my day planner was that I seemed to never have it when I need it. It would be in the car or at home and I was bad about checking it every night. I’m hoping the online solution will work a little better because I’m always on the computer and I always have my phone with me.
My plan is to enter events, appointments and important dates in Google Calendar. From there I will use Google Calendar Sync to copy my dates to MS Outlook on my PC. Outlook will sync the dates to my phone when I plug it in to charge. Daily tasks will be entered into RTM. I like RTM because I’m able to enter tasks using their mobile website when I’m not on my PC. They also have an application that will sync the website to your Windows Mobile phone or iPhone. Whenever a task with a specific time is due I get a reminder text message an hour before the deadline. I’m also able to enter a task using the RTM Gmail widget (I use this all the time).
While I’m sure I’ll miss my day planner, it’s going to be interesting to see how this works out. I spend a lot of time in front of a computer, so I’m sure it wont’s be too much of an additional hassle. What are you going to do to stay organized? Any tips are welcome.
Get Things Done with Google Calendar
President-Elect Obama Weekly Address – 12/07/08
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, General, Obama, Politics
President-elect Barack Obama announced today that General Eric Shinseki will be his nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. General Shinseki is a former Army Chief of Staff and 38-year Army veteran who served two combat tours in Vietnam. He understands the changing needs of our troops and their families and shares President-elect Obama’s commitment to modernizing the VA to meet the challenges of our time. For more information visit www.change.gov.
Operation Blue Roof Helps Those Affected by Ike
I heard about this group in an email I received a couple of days ago. There are many people in need of help and this is just one of the government sponsored programs out there. Also be careful of the scammers out there because this is a free service. Don’t give out any personal information if you haven’t signed up to hear from them. Please spread the word and for more information call 1-888-766-3258.
AUSTIN, Texas — Federal help is available for eligible homeowners whose residences suffered roof damage as a result of Hurricane Ike.
Operation Blue Roof, funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Under the program authorized for the disaster recovery, Corps contractors install plastic sheeting as a temporary solution that allows individuals to remain in their residence until they can make more permanent repairs.
The property must be a primary residence or a permanently occupied rental property. Vacation rental properties are not eligible.
“This program is helping some East Texans remain in their homes while they explore permanent repair options,” said State Coordinating Officer Joan Haun.
The number to call is 1-888-ROOF-BLU, 1-888-766-3258. To date, more than 700 Blue Roofs have been installed.
“There is no cost to the homeowner for this program and approved contractors will all have proper identification and paperwork,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Sandy Coachman. “Unfortunately, we have heard reports that there may be unscrupulous people trying to take advantage.”
Tips for Texans about Operation Blue Roof:
Beware of solicitations. Homeowners need to visit a Right of Entry collection location to sign up. People going door-to-door to damaged homes or phoning victims and claiming they are with Operation Blue Roof could be frauds. Blue Roof representatives never solicit participation, nor will they ask for Social Security or bank account numbers.
Look for identification. Corps employees who do assessments for Operation Blue Roof carry U.S. government ID cards. If you don’t see it, ask for it. Contractors who install the Blue Roofs will have a copy of signed Right of Entry form. No additional form is necessary.
If you get a call. Representatives from Operation Blue Roof may call to clarify information or location, but they will not ask for sensitive information. You will be expected to post the Right of Entry form and restrain animals so that contractors can access your property.
Don’t pay. Operation Blue Roof is free to residents. FEMA never charges applicants for disaster assistance, inspections, or help in filling out applications. The Corps does not charge, either.
If in doubt. Do not give out information. Report people claiming to be government workers to local law-enforcement agencies or to the Texas Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-621-0508. The FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline is 1-866-720-5721.
More information about the Hurricane Ike disaster in Texas is available online at www.fema.gov or www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Operation Blue Roof information is available at www.swf.usace.army.mil.
FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
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