The Story of Cosmetics and Story of Bottled Water

So earlier this year, January 31st to be exact, I did a blogpost on the STORY OF STUFF... It was through this great website that I stumbled upon. Well since then The Story of Stuff has become a Project and more informative videos have been released.

With over 12 million on-line views, The Story of Stuff is one of the most widely viewed environmental-themed short films of all time. Since its release in December 2007, The Story of Stuff has been shown in thousands of schools, houses of worship, community events and businesses around the world.
The Story of Stuff Project was created by Annie Leonard to leverage and extend the film’s impact. We amplify public discourse on a series of environmental, social and economic concerns and facilitate the growing Story of Stuff community’s involvement in strategic efforts to build a more sustainable and just world.

 I recently watched two more videos which were the Story of Cosmetics and the Story of Bottled Water.
The Story of Cosmetics was only 8 mins long, but in those very short minutes I was enlightened
so much. She discusses how a lot of the the beauty products that both men and women use such as shampoos, conditioners, shaving cream, lotions, lip sticks, etc are actually really hazardous to our health. Also she talks about how the FDA really has no direct policing policies on these industries.. Prolonged use of these products are actually detrimental to our health. She even talked about how perms (relaxers) are so very bad for you and how the harsh chemicals can be absorbed into your body and mentioned that it can also be detrimental to beauty standards...she really "hit the nail on the head."

The other video was on the Story of Bottled Water...amazing! Very concise and she really unearthed the "Conspiracy" that these companies have used to brainwash soo many American consumers. For example, both Dasani and Aquafina have admitted to bottling filtered tap water. I must say since last year I have gotten a lot better with reducing my consumption of bottle water and just using my Filter and a reusable water bottle (check out this blogpost that I did on "Doing YOUR Part")...sidenote: but it seems as though since I've been home for the summer, I havent been doing so well on that because the fridge in my house is full of bottle water....Anyways.. Annie does a remarkable job of coming up with effective solutions and just informing you on how using and buying bottled water can be detrimental to the environment and each other.

Below are the videos..ENJOY!





Oh and I decided to use the above picture because I think it really made a statement...we shop and then we take out so much trash...If we had less things, we would have less trash...oh Consumerism.
Until Next Time...

A Piece of Science and Black History

So a week ago a friend of mine changed her profile pic to Henrietta Lacks. It instantly made me think of the time I first heard of her. Who is that you ask? Well Lacks is the first woman to die of cervical cancer. So what is the big deal? Well she died over 50 years ago and her cells are still alive as "HeLa cells", which were used for countless things. Her cervical cells are immortal and still alive being used for research. It is important to know that she is a black woman and unknowingly contributed her cells to science. Her family never even knew that the hospital took her cells...pure exploitation.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the effects of the atom bomb; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

I first heard of Henrietta Lack's my Junior year when my Microbiology teacher spoke of her in class. I was so interested that lecture. We happened to be talking about the discovery of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) leading to cervical cancer and many people that have been influential to the development of things often go undisclosed. I think it was also important to know that my professor, Dr. Jones, was the first black teacher that I had at Emory (yeah it took until Junior year to have a black professor...sad).

So now Henrietta's story is being shared with the general public. Rebecca Skloot has even written a book about Henrietta Lack's story "The Immortal Life." So I have blabbed on enough, I can't do her justice like this wonderful article in the New York Times. If you have extra time please read. Also here is the link to synopsis on the Book, The Immortal Life.

It truly is fascinating. Until Next Time...

Minority Healthcare Professionals

So I receive a daily Enewsletter from the AOA (American Optometric Association), on updates on news and what not... below is the actual description they provide.

AOA (American Optometric Association) First Look is intended to provide an immediate, unfiltered look at the news that affects optometrists and our patients. 

 I think that I am going to post interesting articles/blurbs that might be interesting and informative. Below is discusses the number of minority doctors...currently it is 6%, honestly when they say minority I am not sure if they are including hispanics/native americans. However there are only 4% African American Optometrists...that is so crazy to me. And it is actually getting worse, because there are only 3% blacks currently enrolled in Optometry school, so that number is going down today. 

Surgeon general calls for more minority doctors.

The AP (12/4, Stobbe) reports that US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin "called for stepped-up efforts in increasing the number of minority physicians" yesterday in one of her first speeches in her new position. Benjamin "noted that the proportion of US physicians who are minorities is only six percent -- the same proportion as a century ago. 'There's something wrong with that,' said Benjamin, speaking at a conference on health disparities at a hotel in downtown Atlanta."

        The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (12/4) notes that Benjamin told the group, "Unless the current trend is reversed, our country will see a growing ethnic and racial disconnect between those who receive care and those who provide that care." The "53-year-old graduate of the Morehouse School of Medicine" added that "the recent downward trend in minority admissions follows years of gains in these areas. ... Asked whether the need for more minority medical professionals would be a priority of her time as the nation's highest-ranking health profession, the newly appointed Benjamin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she has yet to announce her priorities. But she emphasized that it is an important issue." 

Oh another random narrative before I go. So I am in class currently, and maybe 20 minutes ago I was waving my hand around (for at least 4 mins) trying to ask a question and the professor literally called on everyone BUT me. When he called on another classmate he actually said "Can you answer VanB's question first"... Of course the class laughed because EVERYONE, but him (supposedly) saw my hand up. And a classmate next to mine, said to me, I guess racism does exist...Umm yeah I didn't find his comment funny AT ALL...ga-reat. Anyways...Until Next Time...

African Americans and AIDS

Today is December 1st...World AIDS Day. Had it not been for the numerous blogs I read, I think the day may have been forgotten.  It is easy to get caught in the daily "hustle and bustle of life."Although I have an important exam, I figure I'd take the type out to write a quick post, because many people are living with Aids every single day, so most people can at least take a day out to acknowledge the PANDEMIC that Aids currently is. As the graphic says, AIDS has seriously become an "Out of Sight...Out of mind" disease which is extremely problematic. 

By now most people know the basics, it's a retrovirus, etc, etc. (Even did a boring group presentation on it last month), but I wanted to just remind people of the current Epidemiology of Aids, specifically when it comes to the African American community. 

Below I have lots of facts/news from the CDC on AIDS and the African American community! Please read, spread the knowledge and remember that almost half of the people living with AIDS in the US are black, and it is not just "isolated incidents" and that it could just as easily be us or someone we know.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in African American communities is a continuing public health crisis for the United States. At the end of 2006 there were an estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV infection, of which almost half (46%) were black/African American [1]. While blacks represent approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population, they continue to account for a higher proportion of cases at all stages of HIV/AIDS—from infection with HIV to death with AIDS—compared with members of other races and ethnicities [2, 3].

The Numbers

HIV/AIDS in 2007

• Blacks accounted for 51% of the 42, 655 (including children) new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [3].
• Blacks accounted for 48% of the 551,932 persons* (including children) living with HIV/AIDS in 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting [3].
• For black women living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of transmission were high-risk heterosexual contact** and injection drug use [3].
• For black men living with HIV/AIDS, the most common methods of HIV transmission were (in order) [3]:
• sexual contact with other men
• injection drug use
• high-risk heterosexual contact**.

Race/ethnicity of persons (including children) with HIV/AIDS diagnosed during 2007

Note. Based on data from 34 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.

AIDS in 2007

• Blacks accounted for 49% of the estimated 35,962 AIDS cases diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia [3].
• In 2007, the rates of AIDS diagnoses decreased among blacks but were still higher than the rates of any other race/ethnicity. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black adults/adolescents were 10 times the rate for whites and nearly 3 times the rate for Hispanics. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black women was 22 times the rate for white women. The rate of AIDS diagnoses for black men was almost 8 times the rate for white men [3].
• Blacks accounted for 44% of the 455,636* people living with AIDS in the 50 states and District of Columbia [3].
• By the end of 2007, 40% of the 562,793* persons with AIDS who died were black [3].

Prevention Challenges

Like other communities, African Americans face a number of risk factors that contribute to the high rates of HIV infection:

• Sexual risk factors include high-risk sexual contact such as unprotected sex with multiple partners or unprotected sex with persons known to have or be at a high risk for HIV infection. People may be unaware of their partner’s sexual risk factors or have incorrectly assessed them.
• Injection drug use may add to the higher rates of infection for African Americans. In addition to being at risk from sharing unclean needles, causal and chronic illegal substance users may be more likely to engage in unprotected sex under the influence of illegal drugs and/or alcohol [4].
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to be experienced at higher rates within the African American community, more so than any other race/ethnicity in the United States. The presence of certain STDs can significantly increase one’s chances of contracting HIV infection. A person who has both HIV infection and certain STDs has a greater chance of spreading HIV infection to others [5].
• Lack of awareness of HIV serostatus is risky for African American men and women. In a recent study of men who have sex with men (MSM) in five cities, 46% of the black MSM were HIV-positive and 67% of those men were unaware of their infection [6].
• Stigma, a “negative social label that identifies people as deviant”, [7] also puts too many African American communities at a high risk of infection. Any behavior deemed deviant (i.e. MSM) has been highly stigmatized. Many at risk for HIV infection fear stigma more than knowing their status, choosing instead to hide their high-risk behavior rather than seek counseling and testing. Therefore they continue to be at risk and may infect others [8].
• The socioeconomic issues associated with poverty, including limited access to high quality healthcare, housing and HIV prevention education may directly or indirectly increase the risk factors for HIV infection [9].

Until Next Time...

No Sex with Roommate Present

Ok so I have this crazy burst of energy, I'm not sure where it came from. Anyways... I just watched this CNN video on Tufts banning sex in a dorm room while the roommate is present and also that you can't "sexile"...lol. I think it's hilarious. Now at some point in undergrad (probably freshman year) you had a roommate, so I feel like most people should have something to say about this..whether it was you who was having the sex, doing the sexiling, or being sexiled or if your roommate was perfectly ok with it; whatever the case may be I think it is part of the whole college (freshman year) experience. Learning how to negotiate awkward, potentially awkward, or maybe not awkward at all situations...Thankfully I had a great freshman roommate...lol. Oh well...here is the video. I'll copy and paste some quotes from the article...have a good laugh.





A new policy at Tufts University prohibits students in dorms from having sex while their roommate is in the room, according to the university's 2009-2010 student handbook.The Massachusetts university's formal rule also bars so-called "sexiling" -- exiling a roommate from the room so the other roommate can engage in sexual activity.The new guidelines for students hosting overnight guests say, "You may not engage in sexual activity while your roommate is present in the room. And sexual activity within your assigned room should not ever deprive your roommate(s) of privacy, study, or sleep time."

Until Next Time...

Why Women Do "It"

Good ol' CNN... This video was short and well put together. It's basically snippets of women saying "why they have sex"... Something that I observed is the only black woman in the video is on her cell phone...lol. 



Until Next Time...

Finally...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Thank you Former President Carter for saying what everyone already knew, but no one wanted to say; People are racist, they don't think Obama can adequately lead this nation because is he Black! That's it... Until Next Time...

Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics

I should have been studying by now, but I just had to post this link. Catherine Saint Louis wrote a piece, "Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics," it was featured in The New York times August 27th on page E1...

Here is the link...check it out!!

I think it is soo great/interesting that black women and their hair have been in the media lately. Maybe this is part of having a black president, first lady, and kids in the white house. I have seen a few "natural" women here in STL, but not many. In a weird kind of way, I am looking forward to seeing Chris Rock's documentary. So if you have any free time, check out the link. Very intriguing article! Anyways... off to study. Until Next Time..

TTT, The Latest Health Epidemic...

So I came across this video sometime last week. I thought it was kinda funny, but sad...and true. I am guilty of excessive texting, and I think my thumbs have felt numb a couple times...hopefully I don't have this issue...I know I definitely don't text up to 30,000 texts a month though. Thats a bit crazy...So here is the video courtesy of CNN describing "Teen Texting Tendonitis"



So after sharing the TTT story with my one of my best friends...she shared this link with me. It is a story about a teen girl falling in an open manhole-five feet below ground to open sewage...EEEWWW! Whoever she was texting better have been worthwhile. It's an interesting story. Check out the article HERE!!

A random thought before I go...I think it is interesting that the spell check doesn't recognize texting as a properly spelled word...is it a word?lol. Until Next Time...

Rescued from Garbage Truck

I haven't posted in a while..but I recently came across this video, and I didn't really know what to think about it so I posted it. So a homeless guy was found in a garbage truck and they needed a ladder to get him out. The first thought that came to my mind was how did he get in there...and didn't it smell. I guess he really hit rock bottom. Nothing against all the sanitation workers, but to fall asleep INSIDE a garbage truck is a whole different story, he is really just lucky that he didn't get crushed...sigh...



Until Next Time...

KKK Robe May Hold Clues...Stone Mountain

So...I think the title of this post says it all...ohh CNN. Thanks again for your randomness. The worse line of this 1 minute story is..."Possibly this robe may have be engaged in some type of conflict, maybe shot at...there were blood stains on there." Thanks Mr. Chism for your insightful comment into a 1950's kkk robe. Wtf...is he not aware of what the kkk is?

And then the whole fact that his robe may hold "clues." Clues to what...that the kkk killed and victimized thousands of blacks throughout history...ga-reat.



So anybody from Metro Atlanta is aware of Stone Mountain and how that was where the kkk was reborn. And just in case you forget there is a Confederate Memorial carved into the side... of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and "Stonewall" Jackson...

So thanks to wikipedia I was reminded of how ridiculous the whole thing is, but as a Georgia Native (I hate to say that), you don't really think about it...For some reason I remember watching a video on the kkk in class...I don't remember if it was my 8th grade GA history class or 9th grade American history class. All I could think was half the places they were naming were in GA. Looking back, I don't think that video was appropriate...maybe there should have been clips of it, but not the whole thing. Then again, most of GA history was about how GA was the most racist state in the Confederacy, oops I mean the USA...lol.

That was also a very volatile year because that was when the whole "Confederate flag" controversy began because the old GA flag was pretty much the confederate flag with a small seal in the side. That was the flag from 1956-2001...ga-reat. But when a senator proposed it be changed that is when the true "confederates" came out... And people say we are in a post-racial nation...puh-lease...come to GA.

So the description of the laser show at Stn. Mtn. (which is a guilty pleasure of mine), makes it seem sooo very backwards and just down right sad.

The famous Stone Mountain Laser Show Spectacular is a colorful lightshow of lasers projecting moving images of the Deep South as well as Georgia history onto the Confederate carving on the side of the mountain. The laser show is accompanied by a compilation of themed musical works. At dusk hundreds of onlookers sit upon the grassed hill celebrating their American and Southern heritages.

Are the images really of the deep south though? lol. I guess so...whenever I leave the show I feel just a tad bit brainwashed...oh well. The laser show is shown daily and there are always hundreds of people there...makes me wonder...hmm... I have a weakness for fireworks and bright lights...lol. And the laser show really meets that craving even though it is a huge symbol of the Confederacy, darn it Ga!

I seriously love how my posts seem to evolve because I didn't even set out to talk about Stn. Mtn...oh well...Until Next Time..

Man Calls 911 over Fast Food

I couldn't help but post this...it's so ridiculous. Until Next Time...

Tatt it Up while Hiking the Appalachian Trail...

Wow what can I say...another an un-newsworthy story from CNN...Really 56 stars on your face...the only folks I know with a Tattoo on their face are Mike Tyson and that chick from the Ray J show.. Poor girl, she is sooo young, pretty much kiss your professional life goodbye. I can't believe she lied, all these liars...Watch the video and crack up at the ridiculous of it and the fact the anchors are mocking/laughing at her...



Speaking of liars and ridiculousness, lets talk about the SC governor. So today he came out and said he was having an affair with an Argentian woman, instead of hiking the Appalachian Trail..what kind of mess...no one actually believed you were hiking the trail, if you going to lie come up with a better lie. The sad part is he missed father's day and everything..oh yeah btw, he has 4 sons. So he went from the "missing governor" to "hiking the Appalachian trail" to "being caught in Hartsfield Jackson airport (Atlanta)"...ridiculous...the sad part is in his confession/apology...he first apologizes to the woman for hurting her...and then to his wife and kids, and then the people of South Carolina...ridiculous! Here is a video...Until Next Time....

Dog Eats Bag of Pot, Gets High

So when I saw the above title when I logged onto my CNN homepage, I couldn't help but click on it. Once again thanks CNN for all the important news that you bring. Even though I hate watching these videos, I just had to look at it. It is ridiculous, but hilarious. lol. Until Next Time...

CNN explaining Twitterverse

So Cnn.com is my homepage, which means that I have gotten used to some of the ridiculous stories that they consider newsworthy for the website. The video below is hilarious, just because I didn't think it took a whole video to explain these things. Is this for parents that want to be hip? I'm confused...Twitter terms in Twitterverse...really? lol.



And another thing that has just been kind of annoying about cnn.com, is all of their videos. Do they think people are unable to read news articles anymore or what is it? Sometimes I get excited about some "latest news" update and then get disheartened cause it is a video. Geesh cut down on all the videos...Until Next Time...