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fitnesswomenshealth-blog · 6 years

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Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson: ‘Inequality strikes at our health and happiness’ | Dawn Foster

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Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson: ‘Inequality strikes at our health and happiness’ | Dawn Foster

New investigation this 7 days exhibiting that 14 million people today stay in poverty highlights just how unequal a culture the United kingdom has develop into. Poverty is specially widespread between disabled men and women, single moms and dads, unemployed people or all those performing irregular or zero-hours positions.

It follows new investigation by the OECD exhibiting that social mobility has stagnated, with a boy or girl from a weak family members in the British isles getting five generations on regular to receive the common wage, in contrast to two generations in Denmark, and 3 in Finland, Norway and Sweden.

It’s hardly surprising, in accordance to Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson. The married academics’ 2009 e book, The Spirit Amount, on the outcomes of inequality on societies throughout the planet, sold about 150,000 copies in English alone, and was lauded across the political spectrum.

9 decades on, items have not improved. The Internal Level, their prolonged-awaited comply with up posted before this year, seems to be at the more own, individual outcomes of inequality: how the social effects of the gap involving prosperous and inadequate impression on individuals. “We’re speaking about how inequality impacts our personal life, our internal life our mental wellbeing, our interactions with good friends and family,” Pickett claims.

The Inner Level examines a society that has dealt with 10 many years of austerity, and viewed just about each relatives impacted by stagnant wages, increased career insecurity, swingeing cuts and variations to the gains process and community solutions nationally and locally, as effectively as a surge in challenges with psychological health throughout modern society. “It requires a total argument and proof about the consequences of inequality to a deeper and far more personal stage. In The Spirit Degree we were being working with factors about society ‘out there’ – the measurement of the prison populace, homicide costs, obesity rates and so on. But this normally takes it into the sphere of our social fears and anxieties,” Wilkinson says. “Worries about self worthy of: all the points that make social get in touch with sometimes look alternatively awkward and nerve-racking. Your fears about self presentation and so on are all exacerbated by inequality.”

‘Measuring the concentrations of the tension hormone cortisol in infants found that poverty, and the volume of time spent in poverty, can hamper the psychological improvement of little ones.’ Photograph: Photofusion/REX/Shutterstock

The problems scrutinised in the ebook – self question, social panic, tension, and anxiety of how we are observed by some others – have an influence on working day-to-day feelings for persons, but also a broader affect on associations, our capacity to make working communities, and the health and fitness and wellbeing of overall populations. These troubles are massively exacerbated by inequality, and a belief in meritocracy suggests that any failure is considered a private failure, the e-book argues. “The truth is that inequality results in true struggling, no matter of how we choose to label this kind of distress. Larger inequality heightens social risk and status anxiety, evoking feelings of shame which feed into our instincts for withdrawal, submission and subordination: when the social pyramid receives greater and steeper and position insecurity will increase, there are widespread psychological fees.”

The worry of poverty also influences the cognitive growth of babies and youngsters. Measuring the amounts of the worry hormone cortisol in infants uncovered that poverty, and the volume of time expended in poverty, can hamper the psychological enhancement of small children. Pickett and Wilkinson come across that “family profits is a far more effective determinant of cognitive progress than staying introduced up by solitary parents, or maternal depression”, and that if small children are enrolled in assist solutions like Certain Begin and their equivalents in other international locations, some of the effects of poverty are offset, and children’s instructional and psychological functionality enhances.

The social demarcations of course, from what we eat and how we chat, to what culture we eat, are also rigorously upheld in far more unequal societies, making discrimination a great deal simpler and blocking social mobility. In extra unequal societies, the guide finds, much less persons marry another person of a various class track record, the selection of visits to artwork galleries and museums is decrease, the jail populace is better and the age of criminal obligation for kids is reduce.

Wilkinson and Pickett cite intensive statistical proof that unequal societies are liable for significantly less satisfying private life, and in flip harm general public well being, scupper educational development, improve crime and reduced everyday living expectancy. “We debunk some of the myths that individuals use to make clear why [society] is inclined to tolerate larger stages of inequality, particularly that inequality is a all-natural end result of our human mother nature, that we are competitive, individualistic and out for ourselves – which is the way we are, it is just human character and nothing can be accomplished about it,” Pickett states. “That is not the circumstance. We also provide evidence to counter the argument that really we’re dwelling in a meritocracy, and that inequality is just a situation of the able and proficient relocating up, and these who are fewer capable, a lot less intelligent, shifting down.”

Several of the issues in our significantly polarised modern society are down to social inequity and are not normal, they argue. “Inequality itself generates these variances,” Pickett states. “Increased social anxieties and worries about how we are observed problems social lifestyle and guide basically to more violence. The worst affected withdraw from life completely, and even between the relaxation of the populace who do not truly feel it so acutely, we all really feel it a little bit,” Wilkinson warns. “Thatwhile Wilkinson warns that inequality “diminishes social existence. What we value most is laughing, joking, calming and investing time with pals and household. That is vital to wellness and pleasure – and yet it is there that inequality strikes.”

If the pair were presented ability tomorrow, they currently have a couple coverage priorities. “I’d ban personal instruction to place a brake on intergenerational unfairness, in line with Finland. But I’d also institute an extremely significant inheritance tax,” Pickett claims.

Wilkinson concurs, but provides: “I assume we have to lengthen democracy into the economic system, and vastly inflated salaries have to be stopped. We really should have personnel illustration on company boards, and incentives to mature cooperatives and staff-owned organizations. That entire sector has to increase.”

Curriculum vitae

Age: Kate is 53, Richard is 75.

Life: They stay together near York.

Family members: Richard and Kate have been married for six several years they every have a son and daughter from earlier associations.

Instruction: Kate: Ecclesbourne faculty, Derbyshire College of Cambridge (biological anthropology) Cornell University, United states (nutritional sciences) University of California, Berkeley, Usa (epidemiology). Richard: the Quaker university, Leighton Park LSE (financial history) University of Pennsylvania, United states (regional science) College of Nottingham (epidemiology).

Occupation: Kate: University of Chicago, 1999-2003 College of York, 2003-existing, wherever she is now university exploration champion for justice and equality. Richard: Avon Location Wellbeing Authority, 1979-81 College of Sussex, 1981-2001 College of Nottingham, 2001-2008. They co-started The Equality Belief (with Bill Kerry) in 2009.

Interests: Both equally like strolling and the countryside. Kate also loves cooking and ballet (the two dancing and watching) Richard pursues his passions in fossils, archaeology and anthropology.

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treehugginglibrarian · 6 years

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RAWR! Things That Make Me Angry

It’s been a long couple of days/weeks/months. To that end, the number of things that seem to be infuriating me and/or generally making me crazy has gotten pretty high. I thought about doing a series of posts, and then realized it would be so much more fun to just get it all out there in one fell swoop. I’ll attempt some semblance of order in the chaos that is my angry thoughts, but I make no promises. Feel free to pitch your own anger out there as well. I’d hate to be the only one to find this post cathartic.

Anger at My Profession (and its Organizations) Recently I did a presentation for the Ohio Library Council’s Youth Services Conference. It went pretty well, the topic was well-received, and those who attended that session seemed happy they had chosen to do so. I’m not disappointed that I went. I am disappointed by the way organizations like the OLC, ALA (the American Library Association), PLA (the Public Library Association), and so forth have taken to treating those who agree to speak at their events.

When I first received my speaker’s agreement for this event, I was a little bit shocked to see that I was being charged a fee to attend. That’s right- not only were they not paying me for my time, thus necessitating that my library pay me for my time even though I wasn’t even going to be at work that day, they had the audacity to attempt to charge me and/or my employer for the use of my time. They wanted me to pay them to spread knowledge and information. They want me to pay them to make their conference possible.

Well, that’s a load of steaming fucking horse shit if ever I’ve encountered it, and it turns out library councils and associations all over the country are now doing this. So much for being an actual profession where our skill sets and capabilities are respected. We are, as individuals, so completely disrespected by the very organizations that are supposed to be fighting for us, that we’re now required to pay to pass our know-how onto our peers.

I got the fee waived on the basis that I am not now, and likely never will be, a youth services librarian and thus wasn’t staying for the entire conference or for lunch. The principle of the entire thing is just maddening, though. They don’t pay mileage. They don’t pay for handouts. They don’t even provide all of the electronic devices needed to make the conference possible. And, to boot, they expect you to pay them to work.

To add insult to injury, I’m already a member of a committee that is part of the OLC. So I’m already doing work for them on the regular, as a committee member. Work that I’ve already paid them to do, because despite being a committee member who ends up speaking with a weird sense of regularity I am required to pay my annual dues. So they want me to pay them, more than once, to do work for them.

Get the fuck outta here with that. My time, my energy, and my knowledge is something for which I should be paid. So the least you can do is avoid charging me to share it.

Suffice to say, it’ll be the last conference of that nature that I’ll be doing. Thankfully, the committee I’m a member of seems to do just as much work at individual libraries, which don’t charge you to come speak, as they do at conferences. I’ve also already presented and/or created presentations for three or four different events this year, and I’m not done yet.

Any other librarians out there right fucking sick of being treated like we’re not worthwhile professionals by the very organizations that are supposed to be helping us, as professionals? Don’t answer that. It’s rhetorical. I’ve had this conversation with dozens of them and, so far, they have all found the practice to be a steaming pile of cow manure.

Get your shit together, library land. We deserve better.

Anger at My House Okay. I’m not actually angry at my house. I’m just really over contractors who can’t fucking communicate. If you say you’re going to call a homeowner, pick up the damn phone and call. The contractors working on our basement have a pretty spotty attendance record and basically no ability to utilize a phone. This was especially fun when we arrived home on day one and found no keys in the house, no lock box on the door, no note explaining these absences, and neither of us had a voicemail or missed call from them.

If a homeowner is having to chase you down to find out when you’ll be in next, or where their keys are, you’re doing it wrong.

In the end, it took them two more days to get our keys into a lock box on our door and, at the paltry rate at which they are moving we are genuinely questioning whether these idiots will be done by the time we leave for Spain. I am absolutely certain we could have gotten this work done faster, and likely for less money than our deductible is going to be, just by doing it ourselves.

There’s also just so much shit all over my house right now. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s just a product of having a basement that is completely out of commission, and some stuff that really can’t be stored in the garage. It’s a little exhausting being surrounded by stuff constantly, though. We’re trying to keep the clutter to a minimum in the spaces we really spend a lot of time in, but basically anywhere else it’s become a free for all. We’re going on over a month since the “Great Flood of 2018,” and I’m ready for it to be over. And I know it won’t be, not completely, not for a while yet, since we’re still looking at having to dig up an entire pipe in the front yard. Because we really needed the “Big Dig of 2018” to go with the great flood, right?

Anger Over Animals There’s a giant, wheelable, privacy fence over my driveway. My dad built it and, once it’s painted absurd rainbow colors, I’m sure it’ll look awesome and annoy the neighbors. It’s not there for aesthetics, though. It’s there because a neighbor complained about the fact that we have a pit bull. So, my dog crashed at my folks house for a week or two while we figured out how to deal with the nosy neighbor problem, and now we have a privacy fence over our driveway so that the only people who can see into our backyard are the next door neighbors who have met our pibble and know he’s a sweetie pie.

Here’s the thing about pits- you may think you know one on sight, but there’s a really good chance you don’t. If you mix a lab and a boxer, you’re liable to get a head with a pretty boxy shape but an actual nose, and you know what it’s going to look like? A pit bull. Even though it’s not one. In fact, this experiment could be repeated, successfully, by mixing a boxer with a number of different dog breeds. All of them would come out with the tell-tale boxy head of a pit bull, and none of them would be pit bulls. The idea that a dog should be banned, taken away, or put down based on the say-so of anyone other than a geneticist, particularly when the dog has done nothing wrong, is fucking absurd.

How about this- leave my dog alone and I won’t call the police on your screaming crotch goblins when you forget to drag their asses back inside at 9pm. Goodness knows my dog is far less obnoxious than your kids are.

Anger at Doctors and/or the VA This one is sort of perpetual and may well be unnecessary, since so few veterans aren’t mad at the VA about something. In my case, I just really wish my wife’s doctors would both listen to her and cooperate with each other. Even as they are refusing to prescribe her the things that she knows will work, they seem equally determined to force her to take medications that aren’t really helping or that are actively hurting her. I can’t say for certain, but I think it might stem in part from the fact that she has four psychiatrists, none of whom want to agree with each other about a damn fucking thing.

So. We talk in circles with each of them, arriving at a conclusion, only to have that conclusion thrown out the next day when one of the other psychs decides they don’t like that plan. It’s a vicious and pointless cycle that serves to do little more than mandate an irrational amount of time off of work for me, and an absurd feeling of frustration and hopelessness for both of us. Anyone who wonders how we can have as many vets killing themselves each day as we do has clearly never attempted to get anything done with the doctors at the VA. It’s an exhausting, demoralizing, process that leaves the patient and their family completely beaten down and generally ready to throw in the towel. So, it does basically the exact opposite of what a medical system should do. Good job, guys.

Anger at the Gays An acquaintance/coworker/human I’m loosely associated with through work posted a meme on that dastardly devil that is social media basically demanding that all those who are not strictly gay or lesbian stop using the term “gay” to describe themselves. I mean, I get it. No one likes to feel erased. Here’s the thing, though. If you’re going to demand that people stop erasing you, you have to do it from a position of marginalization and you have to do it in a fashion that doesn’t erase other people in the process.

While gays are definitely marginalized compared to the straight folk of our world, the reality is those on the binary ends of the sexuality spectrum really are the most privileged among us. They have an easier time defining themselves, an easier time finding their identities, and the likelihood that anyone is going to tell them they don’t exist is pretty slim. Bisexuals and asexuals, for example, basically get told we don’t exist from the minute we walk out of the closet.

The insult is all the worse for bisexuals, since so many gay people actually lay claim to our sexuality for at least a little while, as they test the water outside of their closets. Eventually they paddle their way out and cast off the mantle of bi, thereby adding to the pervasive notion that all bisexuals are little more than straight women who want attention or gay people who are scared to come out. So demanding that your sexuality descriptor remain completely untouched by anyone other than you and yours’ is hypocritical as fuck, to start.

It’s also insanely transphobic. And the one argument presented to me in an attempt to illustrate the lack of transphobia in this demand of word purity did nothing more than effectively eradicate trans people’s self-perceived identities completely. See, here’s the thing, sexuality is an internally experienced concept, even if it is externally perceived. This means that perception is sometimes completely wrong. And like anything else having to do with our persons, our bodies, and our own identities, the rest of the world doesn’t get to tell us how we are going to identify.

While it’s fun to mock seemingly straight men who call themselves lesbians because it’s a notion that is pretty comical, the reality is there are humans on this planet who would look, to us, like straight men but who would actually be lesbians. How is this crazy gender-bending nonsense possible? Because sometimes men who like men are actually women who look like men, and they just haven’t started presenting in a fashion that makes who they truly are completely apparent to those around them. You don’t get to tell them that they aren’t who they are just because your perception of them doesn’t match their reality.

I had one woman attempt to accuse me of homophobia while telling me that trans people are covered under “genderality” rather than “sexuality.” No, it’s not a made-up word, though I was confused at first, too. Genderality is apparently to gender what sexuality is to sex. Well, sort of. Strictly speaking it has to do with gender presentation rather than gender actual, which is a pretty big difference if you ask most trans individuals. Beyond being unnecessarily confusing as fuck, this sort of reinforces the notion that gender, as a construct, is based not on how we perceive ourselves and interpret these perceptions, but instead upon how those around us perceive our gender. Hello bathroom laws.

“But, but, genderality assessments made based on a person’s chosen gender aren’t transphobic!” Except yes, they are. All you have to do to realize this is look at things from the perspective of a transgender person’s partner.

First, it’s necessary to understand that in a world where genderality is a thing that exists, sexuality is based completely upon sex organs and/or chromosomes. Since gender is a perceived construct and one’s attraction to various genders would be described via words such as gynophilic or androphilic, sexuality becomes something that is effectively impossible to know for certain based upon your perception. A couple that consists of a feminine woman and a feminine woman *might* be a lesbian couple in which both parties are gynophilic in nature and, based upon the usual constructs us pedants use to describe the couplings we see around us merely describing them as lesbians if we’re not told any differently would probably make sense. BUT- if one of those women is actually transgender and has not yet undergone surgery, then a world in which genderality and sexuality are completely separate concepts would have you believe this is a heterosexual relationship and that calling themselves lesbians would actually be inappropriate.

Depending on the nature of the couple, they might, indeed, agree with you. If the transwoman was presenting as a man when the couple got married, and she is the only woman her wife has ever been with or will ever be with, they may well agree that the cis woman, at least, is generally straight. The cis woman’s ability to maintain her identity as straight should not, in any way, hinge upon the genitals that her spouse has now or may well have in the future, if for no other reason than the fact that those genitals are absolutely none of our business. Those genitals don’t suddenly become the business of other people just because the cis woman is now a lesbian in a seemingly straight relationship. A lesbian married to a transman owes you no more explanation for why they call themselves a lesbian, than a straight woman married to a transwoman does. Their identities are compositions of where they have come from, the experiences they have had, the way they feel about sex, and how they experience attraction. None of these things are any of our business. They are the business of the person laying claim to the identity and that person’s partner.

The introduction of ‘genderality’ vs ‘sexuality’ has actually, effectively, nullified the argument that only certain individuals should be allowed to use the words gay and lesbian. If a lesbian in a straight-presenting relationship would, theoretically, be encouraged to remain a lesbian on the basis of her partner’s genitals or chromosomes, completely regardless of how they are perceived by the rest of the world, there’s really no reason to be having this conversation since there’s really no way for any gay or lesbian in a tiff about this shit to ever really know *why* any given couple is identifying the way they are. Unless we’re just going to start checking everyone’s genitals and/or demanding chromosomal proof that they are who their sexuality designator says they are. The argument in the original meme had nothing to do with genitals, though, and everything to do with perceived sexuality based on the gender presentations of those involved in any given relationship. Gender presentations that might not be accurate or that may well tell an incomplete story.

Until lesbians and gays are comfortable with the rest of the queer community assigning them roles in their relationships (man, woman, top, bottom, mother, father, so forth) based upon their outward presentation, and not upon their own, personal, lived experience and their own, personal, sex lives, I really think they need to get the fuck out of everyone else’s bedrooms. How anyone else on this lovely planet identifies is absolutely not something you have any say in. Unless you’re comfortable with me calling you, the butch but comfortably female half of your relationship, the “man” from now on. After all, perception from the outside is all that matters, right?

I don’t know if that’s everything I’m mad at right now, but it’s definitely the ones occupying the most space in my brain. Feel free to let me know if you have anything you’d like me to be angry about on your behalf. I apparently have enough of it to spread around right now, for some reason!

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djrelentless · 7 years

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“2013 REWIND: DJ Relenless Talks Music, Politics, Life And The Future”

December 26, 2013 at 4:29pm

What can I say about the year that gave us "twerking" and the "Gay Lumberjack meetsHillbilly Chic" beard? The year that blatant abuse of power with a side order of racism and homophobia was the order of the day. Where Pop Divas battled for the top of the charts, but were side swiped by a smarter girl from Houston.

Yes, 2013 was a quite a year in news and for me personally.

It seems like every year Reality TV gets more and more out of control. We went from a sassy toddler beauty pageant contestant to a backwoods redneck duck calling family and suddenly became surprised that the monarch of it was homophobic and racist. And not wanting to be outdone….the Kardsahians pulled every trick out of their Prada bags to stay relevant. Too bad that not even marrying Kanye West could keep them afloat on the internet. Kanye had a moment of truth on Jimmy Kimmel when he went on to address the parody of his BBC interview. For just a second, I understood his point of view, but then he just kept on talkin'! His mouth is gonna be his biggest downfall. He has some clever twists of phrases in his lyrics, but his idea of being a super genius is what keeps everyone from taking him seriously. Poor Paris Hilton…..she's no longer the "rotten spoiled whore darling" of media. Instead of releasing that horrible song with Lil' Wayne she should have done a sex tape with him. That would have kept her in the news for at least a month. We were continuously being bombarded with information everyday. How could anyone keep up or pay attention?

Musically, we started out the year doing the "Harlem Shake". This really funky dance featured in many Hip Hop videos got appropriated and transformed into convulsions of the masses. Great beat, but no one I saw online was doing it right. This was kinda the "Year of Appropriation" (folks basically stealing other things from other cultures…..some for music, some to shock and some just to get a laugh). Even my alter-ego, Jade Elektra found herself being appropriated by Circuit DJ/Producers who years ago would never play or admit they liked tracks like "Bitch You Look Fierce" or "Why Are You Gaggin'?", but now are stealing riffs and lyrics to make these outdated tribal tracks for shirtless steroid boys to throw their hands in the air while their drugs kick in. That's so 1998!

The word "twerk" was on everyone's lips after the 2013 MTV Music Video Awardsbecause little Hannah Montana decided that once and for all she was no longer going to be a Disney Princess. So, when Miley Cyrus bent over in front of Canada's Marvin Gaye,Robin Thicke during a mash-up of "We Can't Stop" and "Blurred Lines" the course of Pop Music history was changed forever. Online and in the media, Lady GaGa and Katy Perrywere slated to duke it out for the top of the charts by September. After that moment, no one was even thinking about an "Applause" or a "Roar". But no one could have predictedBeyonce coming around the corner in at the last moment in December with her brilliantly unannounced CD and Visual album. Finally….an artist got it right. Release more than a bunch of songs. Give your fans a complete package and they will go out and buy it in droves.

Rivalries between Chris Brown and Drake or Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea seem to cool by summer. I think a few people found out that the internet could be a dangerous place for their careers. Bad publicity is still bad publicity. And when you are trying to sell records in this economy…..it would behoove you to sit down and shut the fuck up! I didn't get the apology that I wanted from Eminem, but I did get to hear him say that he is not a role model and that he did a lot of his early 2000's antics for publicity. But like Andrew "Dice" Clay andLisa Lampanelli, you can only go so far shocking people before it turns into hate. On top and everyone's talking about you and then poof…..you're gone. The next obnoxious thing comes along. So, I lifted my ban on him just in time for his well crafted album, "The Mashall Mathers LP 2" (produced by the legendary Rick Ruben).

Idiots like Justin Bieber and Rob Ford really found out how bad publicity travels around the world in a second. These fools spent the year just writing jokes about themselves with every move. And it's sad that the City Government in Toronto has nothing place to remove Fordfrom office after admitting he lied about smoking crack, got caught on video with some shady dealings, possible murder suspect and told a room full of reporters that he has more than enough "pussy" to eat at home. Bieber just really needs a good ass-whippin'. Punk ass bitches like him are always super tough behind bodyguards when he would bust a grape in a fruit fight (to quote Jay Z). God….please make his announcement about retiring TRUE!

It was quite the year for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. These two have played their hand very well. I just wish that they would give thanks to Ellen DeGeneres for really launching their success by having them on to perform "Same Love" in October of 2012. And speaking of lesbians on daytime television……it has been great to see the void of Oprah filled with two dykes competing for ratings every weekday. Queen Latifah & Ellen seem to be fighting over guests and who's funnier. The only thing is one is completely out and the other dances around the subject.

But we did have some new entries into the game. The LaToya Jackson of the Braxton family, Tamar Braxton really stretched her 15 minutes into 20. Kendrick Lamar shook things up on the Hip Hop scene by just being raw on his lyrics. And thank God that damn "Royals" song by Lorde seems to be dying down! I love when they hype a new artist that they think is the next big thing. She should take a look back at Nora Jones. Praised and revered….now no one knows where she is (taco stand, maybe). At least with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis they had a few years under their belts to find their sound and message. This kid's album sounds like one song. No variations and nothing interesting. I don't wanna hear another teenage girl who sounds like the voice of a baby doll programed with the latest catch phrases…..just tired! But we'll see what happens at the Grammys.

And speaking of the Grammys…..I definitely think it's gonna be a Justin Timberlake year. I think the lawsuit by the Gaye family will hurt Robin Thicke's chances. But Pharrell Williamsshould snatch a couple awards for producing and singing the track "Happy" for "Despicable Me 2". Let's just hope there won't be any awkward performances like Lady GaGa & R. Kelly's "Do What U Want" on SNL or Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" on theAmerican Music Awards even though they both made for good television.

Apparently some other "good television" in 2013 was "Breaking Bad". Who would have thought a show about dealing meth would be one of the highest rated show? Perhaps with the state of the U.S. it's not that surprising at all. From the blatant sabotage of the government by the arrogant and racist Republicans to the dumbing down of TV programing, many didn't have much to turn o except drugs to cope. Medical marijuana has legalized pot in certain areas of the country and many are trying to find doctors who will give them a prescription for any ailment.

And the Reality TV shows just keep on a comin'! My favorite new title coming from the states is "Sex Sent Me To The E.R." (probably because I could have been on this show….but we'll save that story for my book). As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, it saddens me that good actors can't get work today while simple and common people can allow cameras to follow them around and makes millions. And talking with one of my good friends who is an excellent director, I realized that this Reality Crap has effected our actual actors in America. Now perfectly good actors are "acting" like Reality Stars to get work. This is why Australians and Brits are playing Americans better than Americans. It reminds me of when I was applying for a job at Gym Bar in Chelsea, NY back in 2009 and the owner actually asked me to not mix my sets. Mainly because the norm in the bars in Manhattan these days at some gay hangouts is a DJ who cannot mix. That is killing the art of DJ-ing and definitely killing the art of acting!

But never fear….Kevin Hart came up with one of the most brilliant ideas. "The Real Husbands Of Hollywood" has flipped the script. It's a fake reality show with real celebrities. Very funny stuff! I predict that Mr. Hart will take the place of Dave Chapelle in 2014. God knows, he's about to drop several movies at once to start the New Year off. Let's just hope he doesn't implode like Dave did.

The other disturbing trend I watched in 2013 was the Conservative Party of Canada's government borrowing pages from the U.S. Republicans' playbook. Not many realized thatFOX News opened an office in Montreal this year. That means that the Republicans have raised enough money off the puppet shows like "Family Guy", "American Idol" and "The Simpsons" to expand to another country. The very things that the Republicans hate and want to fight to keep down like gay rights, immigration, poor people's dreams, etc…are the very things they sell us on their shows to make money to continue their agenda. Their remarking of voting zones and opposing Obama tooth and nail is part of their plan to take back the White House in 2016. And don't think for a moment that the Obamacare website debacle was not a scheme by the Republicans. It's just too bad that him being the first African-American President has left him in a position where he can't call them out without them saying he's playing the "race card". These days everyone is holding their breath hoping that Hillary Clinton will run in the next election. At this moment and time, she seems to be the only threat to the Republicans. But a lot can change over the next year couple of years. Remember back in 2008 when we all thought she was a shoe-in?

But I guess the most frustrating thing to watch this year was the acts of racism and homophobia. The George Zimmerman Verdict in the murder case of Trayvon Martin really sent a message about America that polarized race relations. It gave us the new and improved "Jim Crow". It raised the question "Have we really evolved at all?" People likePaula Deen and Phil Robertson are great example of the rebranding of "Jim Crow". Celebrities like Julianna Hough dressing in "blackface" for Halloween, Steve Martintweeting a racist jokes, the attacks on Nina Davuluri for being crowned the first Miss America of Indian decent….all tell a different story about "the land of the free." Some tried to apologize while others just "stood their ground" and let their racist thoughts flow like theRiver Jordan. And even though Elisabeth Hasslebeck was finally asked to leave "The View", I think it was a little too late.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/09/16/miss-america-2013-nina-davuluri_n_3933666.html

But I guess the most ridiculous thing I just read about recently is the "National Chick-Phil-A Day" coming up on January 21st, 2014. Supporters of Phil Robertson are planning to converge on all Chick-fil-A restaurants to show their support for him and freedom of speech. Hey…it worked when the company came out against gay rights! But in a strange move the fast food chain has quickly denounced any involvement with the movement. Probably because Robertson is not only a homophobe but also a racist. So, the company has had to pick and choose their hate. Yes…we hate homosexuals, but we love our black customers who eat chicken!

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/12/26/have-you-heard-about-the-national-chick-phil-a-day-to-support-suspended-duck-dynast-star/

http://www.tmz.com/2013/12/25/chick-fil-a-phil-robertson-facebook-group-statement/

But as for me, 2013 taught me a lot about myself and where my life is going. With the help of my husband (John Allan), Todd Klinck, Phillip Fournier and the owners of Crews & Tangos I successfully maintained a monthly fundraiser for one of the charities that is dear to my heart…..Toronto's People With AIDS Foundation. Probably because I have witnessed first hand the good work they do for people living with HIV/AIDS. I don't think that everyone realizes that all it takes is one person to start a movement or to take a stand. I hope that I have inspired a few people to live in their truth. It's the only way to live….for me at least. I've learned that it is never too late to right a wrong (especially when it comes to your family).

2013 also taught me to always stand up for what you believe in (even when it is the unpopular thing to do). Pride week in Toronto showed me how some people only see what they want to see. Supporting your friend when they have done something that is wrong or controversial does not make their actions right. It only makes you look uneducated. Opening a conversation and dialogue about different view points should not turn into a "Twlight" movie with Team This and Team That. If you don't know what it is to be discriminated against or degraded because of who or what you are, then of course you will not have the same view point as of someone who has. Social Media has turn everyone into their own little islands. And our youth suffer the most because they actually believe the hype of entitlement. A few likes or quick comments posted on a page makes them believe that they are that important when there are much bigger issues at hand.

So, even though I have lost a few friends and acquaintances behind standing up against a racist act, I have gained a few a long the way and remain proud that I said something when most didn't see what was wrong in the first place.

It weird thinking back at the movie version of George Orwell's "1984". "Big Brother" was a real threat to our lives (or at least we thought back then). The idea that someone was watching us 24/7 without our control or consent was a scary concept. Now "Big Brother" is a reality show and everyone is clammering to post their most intimate details online. I love seeing photos of people behaving badly, smoking joints and almost naked in their bathrooms. And then they wonder why they can't get a job! It would seem that "Big Brother" has figured out how to watch us with our permission and no one is the wiser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq-_7F9asjo

For 2014….I pray for clarity. I pray for continued good health. I pray for a common ground where we all can be heard and still respect each other. I don't have to agree with you, but that does not mean we cannot work together to make a better place for all of us.

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junker-town · 8 years

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Every NBA figure who's spoken out about President Trump's travel ban

Four head coaches and many more players have said they’re against President Trump’s travel ban.

Players, coaches, and executives around the NBA have spoken out against President Donald Trump’s ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries since the executive order was passed on Saturday.

Specifically, four NBA head coaches have sharply criticized the ban, including Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Notably, Kerr’s father was killed in an act of terror when Kerr was a freshman in college.

No NBA player or executive has explicitly come out in support of the ban, to SB Nation’s knowledge. One player asked, Timberwolves forward Gorgui Dieng, who is Muslim, gave a neutral answer about the ban but also said, “I think I’ve got a right to be here.” Senegal, where Dieng was born, was not one of the seven countries listed in the executive order.

Here is a complete list of NBA figures who have shared their opinions on the ban. Their complete thoughts are not included in every instance, but click on their names to see everything they said in full.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr

“I would just say that as someone whose family member was a victim of terrorism, having lost my father, if we’re trying to combat terrorism by banishing people from coming to this country, (it’s) really going against what the principles of what our country’s about and creating fear. It’s the wrong way to go about it. If anything, we could be breeding anger and terror and so I’m completely against what’s happening.”

Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy

“We're getting into the days of now we're judging people by their religion, trying to keep Muslims out. … None of those seven nations have been responsible for an American death, but we're barring everybody. It's just playing to people's fears and prejudices and everything else, and we're getting back to the days of putting the Japanese in relocation camps and Hitler registering the Jews. That's where we're headed, and it's just fear-mongering and playing to a certain base of people that have some built-in prejudices that aren't fair.”

Raptors head coach Dwane Casey

“I'm old. It's scary because it kind of reminds you about what happened back in the 60s, when I was growing up. Even though it's different issues, it resembles that in a lot of different ways. A little bit more sophisticated, but it's similar. And it's a slippery slope. For every action, there's a cause and effect and a reaction by other people, so we have to be careful. Again, I'm a U.S. citizen, a proud U.S. citizen, but we have to be careful how we're handling our business in the States.”

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry's comments on President Trump's #MuslimBan http://pic.twitter.com/DOIPpOE0AP

— Mark Sheldon (@markdsheldon) January 30, 2017

“Um, I think it’s bullshit. I think it’s absolute bullshit. Our country is the home of the land of the free, and for that to happen, I think it’s bullshit. I mean, I’m not going to get into it too deeply but personally, I think it’s bullshit.”

Raptors president Masai Ujiri

“I just don't get it. This is mind-boggling. I'm a prime example of what opportunity is in this world, basically. Canada has given me opportunity. America gave me opportunity. America has given my kids opportunity. That's what this world is about. For me to see -- I see how many foreign kids we have on our basketball team. Luol Deng ate in my house when he came to playoffs here. He's from Sudan. What does all this mean? It's ridiculous in my opinion.”

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich

“As you already know, I have lots of thoughts about what we’ve done to ourselves as a country and what we’ve allowed to happen. But we’ll see where this goes. Obviously the rollout today was Keystone Kops-like by any measure with objectivity. Whether you want to say it’s good or bad is irrelevant. But it was Keystone Kops, and that’s scary.”

Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

People can say what they want, but being denied ACCESS to see your grandchild graduate or to go back to your country is inhumane. #MuslimBan

— R.HollisJefferson (@RondaeHJ24) January 29, 2017

Bucks vice president Alex Lasry

“I appreciate all the fans concerns and prayers for Thon (Maker). And, today a Sudanese refugee who fled oppression and is an incredible young man will make his second NBA start. I’m incredibly excited and proud of him. He’s a symbol of what makes America great and all immigrants believe about America. But what’s going on in the US right now isn’t about Thon. It’s about all the other incredible immigrants and refugees who will make US a better place that can’t come into our country. This is not who we are as a country and doesn’t live up to our ideals.”

Former NBA player Nazr Mohammed

It's a tough day when u find out that so many ppl that u thought were fans or friends really hate u and everything u believe in.

— Nazr Mohammed (@NazrMohammed) January 28, 2017

Thunder center Enes Kanter

I am still in disbelief about the #MuslimBan 'NO' human should be discriminated for their Race, Religion or Ethnicity.#WeAreAmerica

— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) January 29, 2017

Former NBA player Steve Nash

Freedom and liberty packing up their things...

— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) January 28, 2017

Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart

My first protest was really inspiring - to be alongside such a diverse group of people who care about other humans! #NoMuslimBan #LAX http://pic.twitter.com/mrLyHwy7De

— Breanna Stewart (@bre_stewart30) January 30, 2017

Nets guard Jeremy Lin

As an American, sorry to everyone affected by the #MuslimBan ... this is foreal gettin out of control #teamACLU

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) January 29, 2017

Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried

Astaghfirullah! They know not what they do!

A photo posted by Kenneth Faried (@kennethfaried35) on Jan 28, 2017 at 9:55pm PST

Faried’s caption reads: “Astaghfirullah! They know not what they do!”

Astaghfirullah is an Arabic interjection used to expressed shame or disapproval. Literally, it is a short prayer asking forgiveness.

After the Nuggets’ Jan. 31 120-116 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Faried sounded off about the travel ban.

“I think it’s crazy, what’s going on,” Faried told reporters, according to the Orange County Register. “It’s basically messed up. Disrespectful. This country was founded on immigrants, and this country supposedly lets you have any religion, doesn’t matter. And for (Trump) to have a Muslim ban is the utmost disrespect. I’m Muslin, and I take that personally.”

Pistons forward Stanley Johnson

Watching what’s happening around the country and I’m angry that in 2017 this is our reality. We are all Americans and we ALL have power! I challenge everyone to make their voices heard in whatever way they can to fight injustice. #NoBanNoWall #MuslimBan

A photo posted by Stanley Johnson (@omostanimal) on Jan 30, 2017 at 12:58pm PST

Lakers forward Luol Deng

I am a #ProudRefugee. http://pic.twitter.com/4aeMY98vaJ

— Luol Deng (@LuolDeng9) January 30, 2017

Deng later spoke out on President Trump’s travel ban after his Lakers’ 120-116 win over the Nuggets.

“I’ve watched the news and I’ve read a lot. If you really want to look into that, you’ve got to go into facts and what is true and what is not,” Deng said, according to the Orange County Register’s Mark Medina. “From what I understand, I haven’t seen a lot of refugees committing terrorist acts in this country I’m speaking about.

“We don’t know where it goes afterward,” he said. “So, right now, it’s just hope and being patient and seeing where it goes. No matter what, there’s always hope.”

Suns head coach Earl Watson

"I think it's un-American. I think it's unconstitutional. I think it's ridiculous. And I think we can be better than that. We've always been as a nation leaders and everything that I feel is important, things such as diversity, accepting people of all races and creed and religion, we have to understand we cannot go backwards and we cannot hold status quo. Status quo means someone else is getting better and we'll get passed up anyway. We have to push forward with a mindset that diversity is great, which is why our country is phenomenal, and understand that you can't ever create segregation in any form whether it's gender, sexuality or religion. It can never happen. That's what makes America great. I have Muslim friends. I have Jewish friends. I have Christian friends. Nondenominational friends. I have Mormon friends. A lot of those guys were my teammates and became my friends for life. Their families became my family."

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