As we wrap up
the past 12 months there are so many topics that could be addressed on New Year's Eve. Such topic could range from the most
beautiful images of 2013; top political stories of 2013; most talked about non-traditional teen love stories of 2013; to
the Bat Kid (how
can you not get teary eyed over that one?) of 2013. 
Last week South Africa bid farewell to President Nelson Mandela. I was not sure if mentioning Mandela's funeral or his global meaning here in this platform had any merit because the event was well publicized. I just did not know what I could say to continue a healthy discussion. But this is the discussion. Is the inmate
What would a tragedy of this magnitude be like today?
As our sugar crazed kids go
out to support the $2 Billion dollar generated-in-one-week-Halloween-industry it might be a good time to explore Halloween and its origins. For starters, the historical significance of Halloween’s marriage to candy has only
recently surfaced since the 1970’s. For decades Christmas and Easter dominated
the candy industry’s traditional events.
And if it is true, would our government botch it up and destroy us all because of bipartisanship? I frankly am
on the fence on this one. Aliens? What is the government’s protocol about Extraterrestrials? Are they coming or are we
going or are they already here or a combination thereof? With the film Gravity by now earning $200
Million at the box office it seems that the idea of Star Trek, relating to
space and space travel is becoming more of a reality than just pure
fiction.
I had the
opportunity to see several Broadway shows/plays recently. The premise of this writing is to share my
experience of Motown the Musical. I was intrigued because Motown the Musical reviews have been mixed; however, it has been consistently sold out. First,
though, I want to discuss an etiquette issue about the Broadway Theatre as a
modern day art form. This should be two
separate writings but I am going to combine the two thoughts. Also, I hope to discuss these plays at a later date.
How frequently have we associated mental illness as a negative in our American culture? NPR's Ted Radio Hour's The Unquiet Mind helps bring the discussion to the table with such provocative discussion ranging from (but not limited to) Jon Ronson's quote of "Being not normal is the new normal;" to the discussion of the narcissistic injury of having a mental illness.
I am constantly surprised that our culture is frequently unaware of its bias toward extraversion. Charismatic outspoken leaders that can easily engage us in public speaking are
perceived as positive. Often, the recluse who observes from the side is
often forgotten or discarded and at times under-recognized. For years,
the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) has done wonderful research and given insight into the world of personalities. I was able to briefly discuss this in my past life...
Let's get to it... Here is a study on BDSM as it correlates to your positive overall functioning.
Last week I heard an interview with Mark Jenkins on KPCC radio's the Story Series. I would recommend listening to this interview before
There used to be the magic number of 65 representing the age of retirement in the United States. Whether you ask yourself when it’s the right time to retire or of you start seeing the signs it is time to retire you could benefit from some planning or discussion. Can you afford it, and are your ducks in order? Do you feel it in your gut, or are your instincts telling you something? Are you being pulled into a direction different than your career or job? Is there some internal clock that is guiding you to show down or to relax more? These might be indicators that retirement is an option in your life.
I have had several male Baby Boomer (BB) client who are having children for the first time in their 50's. It is provocative; powerful; daunting; challenging; exciting. There are also the apprehensions; concerns; doubts; social pressures, and medical questions that surface in session. It is nothing new that men and women are facing a paradigm in roles and life circumstances making this a vocal discussion of whit and reflecting psychological parenting. There is that shock value New Yorker article Is She Just Too Old For This addressing whether a woman at 50 is too old to bear children. The celebrities with the money and resources can pull it off. Can we, as everyday HMO customers accomplish pregnancy so late in middle-aged life? Insurance and HMO/PPO's aside, is this new trend a part of the male drive to propagate and if so is there a financial and intellectual discussion that is
Many of us now know about sugar and its affects on behavior and its harmful ways in some to self-sooth. And let's not forget about the country's growing addiction to caffeine. If you have a chance, I would recommend Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Moss' new book Salt Sugar Fat as he explores Coca Cola's secret formula.
Happy Random Birthdays! 
And let's not forget the African-American contralto Marian Anderson arguably the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall.
The incident placed Anderson into the spotlight of the international
community. With the aid of
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson performed a critically acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
in Washington, D.C. She sang before a crowd of more than 75,000 people
and a radio audience in the millions. Anderson continued to break
barriers for black artists in the United States, becoming the first
black person, American or otherwise, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 7, 1955.
There was Oscar winner Jennifer
Hudson doing her Jennifer Holliday rendition of And I'm Telling You (standing
ovation); there was Adelle’s Skyfall;
and then there was legendary Streisand's The Way We Were. But Dame Shirley Bassey made her debut at the Oscars. A new generation
learned what the Streisand's of the world strive for. Entertainment singing
perfection who defines how a griotte channels to the divine. Amazing: Dame Shirley Bassey!
