I first heard the words “Pink Slime,” also known as lean finely textured beef (LFTB) and boneless lean beef trimmings (BLBT), a beef-based food additive that may be added to ground beef and beef-based processed meats as an inexpensive filler, more than a year ago at a MEMAH meeting. I am a vegan, so when Jim Morris, one of MEMAH’s founders, mentioned Pink Slime’s association with meat-eating, I felt relieved. The men who attend MEMAH’s meetings are very generous. They openly and candidly share information regarding their health issues and encourage those of us present to change our behaviors to effectuate positive results in our healthcare. No other place have I ever witnessed a group of men share such private health information. I learned quite a lot about men’s health from attending MEMAH’s seminars listening to the attendees, doctors and healthcare professionals who are presenters at the meetings. I recommend men, especially those living in Pasadena, attend a MEMAH meeting. You will be duly rewarded with invaluable information concerning your health.

On Saturday, June 3, 2012, MEMAH will be hosting “Get Healthy Pasadena 2012,” a full day of celebration at the Pasadena Senior Center which is located at 85 East Holly Street, Pasadena, California. Attendees will have the opportunity from 9 am to 5 pm to receive, free health screenings for prostate cancer, diabetes, blood pressure and stroke. There will also be free vision, hearing and dental screenings. Last year’s event screened over 1,100 individuals, which is the largest number of individuals the City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Senior Center have ever screened at one time. Attendees will also be able to enjoy - throughout the event - live music, food booths and talks by top health professionals.

Whenever a group of individuals commit themselves and collaborate to benefit the community they live and work in, goodwill is spread to everyone who choose to engage with their  mission. MEMAH is certainly one of those organizations doing its part to educate men about their health. I trust you would support MEMAH’s mission to make a difference in men’s lives.

In the 21st century Global Business Economy, sophisticated and intelligent business men and women are embracing the practices of collaboration, engagement and sharing. Anyone in business who choose to ignore these tenets do so at their own peril. Chris Anderson, the creator of the concept, The Long Tail, is an innovative thought leader who has promoted the idea that we need more “options” and not “monopolies.” There is a profound reason why Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google are setting the agenda as the world’s most innovative companies. These companies have realized collaborating, sharing and integrating are some of the most effective and progressive modes to succeed in the 21st century. The era of greed and monopoly is 20th century thinking and that line of thought is convoluted.

Sharing is the new model for anyone attempting to be effective, successful and smart. If one don’t believe my observation, then just pay attention to the “explosion” of the worldwide web, a sharing tool. Apple’s I-Phone shares the marketplace with Sprint’s Android Phones. Google’s Search shares the marketplace with Yahoo’s and Microsoft’s search engines. If some of the world’s biggest  companies comprehended sharing is important, then why are some business owners practicing the greed model?  Deductive reasoning predicates if a dog with a bone in his – pun intended - mouth is crossing a bridge and he sees his reflection in the river below the bridge, it would be unwise for him to snap at the reflection of the bone he sees in the river. Such an act would result in the dog losing the bone in his mouth into the river. This kind of greedy behavior never ends favorably.

In the present highly technological business environment where sharing, engagement and collaborations are much desired business practices, the businesses whose modus operandi is centered on greed are performing in a shortsighted and wrongheaded manner. Greed is not good.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I laughed. I cried. I got goose-pimpled. I rocked in my seat listening to the music. I was happy one moment and sad soon thereafter. Such was my emotions watching the long-awaited documentary film, “Marley,” this past Saturday at the Laemmle Cinemas in Pasadena, California. As I looked over at my date and seat mate, my wife Veronica, I observed she was experiencing the same emotions. In one of his last statements to his fans, the legendary poet, prophet, humanitarian, father, husband, brother, musician and Rastafarian Bob Marley remarked “don’t have no doubt.” Intimating those words in his letter, while receiving treatment in Germany for the cancer which had spread all over his body, he was assuring his fans even though he was ill, he was going to be well soon and they should not worry.

I am a huge Bob Marley fan. I was lucky to see him perform twice. If you did not get the opportunity to see Bob Marley performed, you missed one of the greatest performers of all time. If you don’t believe me, just ask Sly Stone, Bruce Springsteen or Lionel Richie. Bob Marley was, during his career, the opening act for their bands and the rest is music history. The film, “Marley,” is a must see if you enjoy organic storytelling and music. Bob was born on the island of Jamaica, West Indies and grew up a very humble individual. In his teenage years, Bob decided on a career in music. Bob Marley and The Wailers (featuring his two co-founders Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh) blossomed reggae into the mainstream of popular music. And, both reggae and popular music have since not been the same.

Bob Marley was an international star. He would have celebrated his 67th birthday this past February 6, 2012. He died at the young age of 36 years old. His essence, power and verve for music, justice, family, life and the Jamaican people have left an indelible mark on the world we live in.  Every country I have visited - without question - I always observed someone wearing Bob Marley’s paraphernalia. Even GQ Magazine in its May 2012 issue pay homage to Bob Marley’s fashion style. He was a visionary.

As I reminisce on one of the sub-plots of “Marley,” I am reminded that maybe, just maybe if Bob Marley had gotten “regular” medical check-ups after being diagnosis with melanoma, we might still be enjoying his live concerts today. All one has to do is look at Sonny Rollins, Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney for proof that Bob Marley would still be rocking us today. “Don’t have no doubt,” Marley remarked.

I remembered once we – with the aid of one of the Taylors’ sons – were shown their living room. Situated around the room were several bottles with an object, corked, in each of them.  I remembered the fear we all felt and later spoke of as each of us ran from the Taylors’ living room. After that day, we never visited the Taylors’ home. As a matter of fact, we stopped playing with them.

The Taylor brothers were constantly in trouble with law enforcement, but they never, as I recalled at the time, were convicted of any of their alleged crimes. The Taylors bragged about the objects in the bottles and their prowess to escape convictions. We in our limited and frightened state of minds attributed their supposedly invincibility to the power of the objects we saw in the bottles.

Then one day, we saw their father, Mr. Taylor, the patriarch and most feared man in our neighborhood, walked with the aid of a cane and one of his sons directing his path. He was wearing sunglasses and seemed sad, feeble and helpless. The word spread in our neighborhood that Mr. Taylor had contracted blindness, because of his interactions with the objects in those bottles. We never found out what really caused Mr. Taylor’s blindness, but from that day forward Mr. Taylor was viewed as an evil and forbidden individual who reaped what he sowed.

I also learned from this life experience that if you play with fire you will “eventually” get burned.

After Iverson was traded from the 76 Sixers, he bounced around to several NBA teams, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons come to mind. Iverson had developed an image as being a “bad behavior individual.” As a matter of fact, he had several run-ins with law enforcement and was intermittently in the news regarding his relationship with his former wife. In some hush-hush circles, Iverson was blamed for ushering into the league NBA players’ thug dressing and excessive tattoos. Several former players had tried to temper Iverson’s behavior, but for whatever reason it seemed Iverson could not be mentored by anyone. Fast forward to today and you’ll find Allen Iverson is not playing in the NBA. It is alleged he is broke and unhappy. He recently played in Turkey’s basketball league where he earned much less than he did in the NBA. And, currently, the Associated Press has reported Iverson allegedly signed a “one month” contract to play in a regional basketball league in the Dominican Republic. Yes, Iverson skills have eroded and his bad behavior image continues to give NBA owners pause about hiring him to be a player on their teams.

I believe if Allen Iverson had practiced humility, he could have been lionized as one of the top five best point guards in the history of the NBA. Iverson squandered his legacy by behaving in an adverse manner towards the game he supposedly loved. If he had embraced practicing, he still might be playing in the NBA with several of his contemporaries. The story of Allen Iverson connotes a cautionary tale of what happens when one practices bad behavior; practice bad manners and usually unpleasant results occur.

Public relations of high-fructose corn syrup (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I did it again. Last Sunday, on Easter, I consumed a red velvet cupcake and it tasted good. Then why am I feeling guilty for eating red velvet cake? Well, one week before Easter Sunday, I attended a dinner on Saturday, March 31, 2012 and consumed a dessert that was too sweet for my liking. So, you can imagine how I felt the next evening while I was watching my favorite TV show, 60 Minutes, and one of its segment purported that the high amount of sugar in the American diet is killing us. Why does our bodies crave sugar so much if it is not health for us? Sugar is sweet, addictive and once dissolved it activates the pleasure region of our brains. And, since sweet is connoted with being safe, we overindulged in sugar consumption.

Dr. Robert H. Lustig, University of California Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, is one of the main voices speaking out against too much sugar in our diets. His lecture, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” is a must see for anyone who is interested in America’s sugar epidemic.  Dr. Lustig remarked he was motivated by his patients who to a large extent were obese. Months ago, I wrote a series of posts on Childhood Obesity, so when I saw the 60 Minutes segment on sugar being toxic and resulting in heart disease, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and in some cases cancer, it prompted me to write this post. High Fructose Corn Syrup which we are consuming at an alarming rate is present in many foods we eat and it is harmful to our bodies. I was shocked to learn that the average American consume 130 pounds of sugar each year. No wonder obesity is a problem in our society.

To learn how sugar became such a major staple in our diets, I recommend you view Dr. Lustig’s lecture. I am willing to bet after you view this informative, transparent and well researched lecture, you will decrease your consumption of sugar, change your behavior and potentially avoid coronary heart disease.

The car owner after being questioned by Pasadena Police Officers have recanted his complain and it is reported he’s now saying that he remarked the alleged robbers had a gun to hasten the arrival of the officers to the scene of the alleged crime. This past Saturday,  the Pasadena Police Chief held a press conference/community meeting at one of the prestigious churches in Pasadena to quell the angst and answer questions that community members had regarding the shooting.  The Police Chief stated the car owner is now being charged with involuntary manslaughter. Because of an error which could have been avoided by one individual, another human being is dead and all of the families involved are inundated with grief.

Based on all the recent activities regarding the unfortunate shooting, the Pasadena Police Department is working diligently on multiple investigative levels to get the facts out on what occurred during the incident. They (police) arrested a 17-year-old boy who is alleged to have been involved in the robbery. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged the teen with two counts of commercial burglary, grand theft and failing to register as a gang member. And, Pasadena, California is now in the national spotlight, because of the alleged bad behavior of a few individuals.

Again, I plea, please give pertinent “and accurate” information to police officers whenever you call them to a crime scene.

Chris Camillo’s keen observations have been realized again. Chris is the author who wrote the book, “Laughing at Wall Street.” In his book, Chris intimates anyone can beat the Wall Street professionals at investing by just reading tabloids, shopping at the mall, paying attention to pop culture and connecting on Facebook and LinkedIn. While reading Chris’ tome, I discovered if I was more observant I could have made lots of money a few years ago by investing in the Uggs boots, True Religion jeans or Crocs. When these products were launched in the marketplace, they were relatively unknown commodities. Three to five years later, these commodities are omnipresent. Seems like every young woman I know owns a pair of Uggs. Because of the brand’s success, the company is now making Uggs boots for men and they have recruited Tom Brady, the celebrated National Football League Quarterback of the New England Patriots, as their pitchman. And, Uggs stock price has risen significantly.

If I was paying attention and acted when First Lady Michelle Obama appeared on the “Tonight Show” and told Jay Leno that she and her kids love to shop at J. Crew, I could have profited from the 186% stock (J.Crew) price increase because of Ms. Obama’s remarks. I was again caught off guard recently when Eric Fehrnstrom, one of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney‘s trusted advisors, remarked that Mr. Romney’s campaign policy positions taken during the Republican presidential primary can be wiped away like a drawing on the child’s toy ”Etch A Sketch.” His comment resulted in a national media frenzy which caused Ohio Art Company, the maker of Etch A Sketch, stock price to rise over 125% to date.

As money becomes scarce in our current economy, it’s worthwhile to pay attention to what are the trends in society. We don’t have to be Hedge Fund Managers or Wall Street Stock Brokers to increase the wealth in our financial portfolios. All we have to do is diligently pay attention to the game changing information hidden in everyday life. I plan on taking Chris’ advice more seriously and become more vigilant in “trend-spotting.” My hope is you too will pay attention.

The picture consist of articles on bullying.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese-born Buddhist monk, teacher, author, and peace and social justice activist who helped originate the “Engaged Buddhism” movement, quoted “When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”  As I reflected on Mr. Hanh’s remark, I thought of the ailment that must be present in the mind of a bully. Having been a victim of bullying, I can related to the notion of “bullies need help.” Whenever someone tries to bully me, I am first angry then after some contemplation I have empathy for the bully, because it doesn’t take long to realize they (bullies) are usually very unhappy individuals.

The recent increased media coverage of bullying in the United States of America school system revealed nearly half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years and at least 10% are bullied on a regular basis. The instigators who use bullying as a form of intimidation are usually cowards. Bullies thrive on attempting to dominate and control individuals who they believe are vulnerable. I grew up with a childhood friend who was the neighborhood bully. He was rough, tough, bitter and academically inept. I remembered avoiding conflicts with him on many occasions.  Presently, whenever I see him he’s always apologizing for his behavior when we were children. I have forgiven him for all of his wrongdoings, because I do believe in karma and, moreover, it’s not my responsibility to judge him. As a result of his misguided behavior, his life has been very difficult.

Individuals who bully others have often been the victims of physical abuse or bullying themselves.  Their lives are analogous with being in a vicious cycle. My hope is bullies would seek out professional mental health to develop a strategy to curb their bad behavior and stop attempting to hurt others.

First Page of Voting Rights Act

The recent Voter Identification Law controversy has given me reason to pause about the present state of our country. Not too long ago encouraging citizens to vote was the rave. What happened to that notion? Why are some individuals attempting to roll back the advancements that were made in the United States of America (USA) regarding voting rights? I heard one report mentioned several countries around the world are amazed at what’s occurring in the USA. Is the majority of the USA, leader of the free world, behaving badly? I say no. It’s just the sector of the country’s citizens who is trying to camouflage that there is voting fraud in our country. Why are these individuals so angry? It’s time for them to pause.

The unnecessary forthcoming debate heightened recently when a veteran, who recently fought in the Mideast War, was not allowed to vote in a Republican Primary. This snafu was down right ridiculous. Can you imagine the brewing outrage when other veterans are confronted with the same issue.  I understand the issue is not a simple one, but my question is since when has voting become such a difficult exercise for a USA citizen.

My resolve on this issue is since citizens have more than seven (7) months to obtain the correct identification to vote, they should continue to agitate while simultaneously devising a plan to have their voting credentials by the next election. Do fix the leaky roof, which was created by a sudden storm, before  the rain falls.There is still time.