"Slumdog Millionaire" Child Stars - You gotta be kidding me on this one

This really just hits me in the gut. I realize we sometimes live in our own little "glass bubble", without thinking about how many countries are still "barbaric"... not just 3rd world, but plain living in horrid conditions, doing horrid things to their own families, especially their children. We are bombarded with child-slave labor stories, yet I kind of feel we let it roll off our backs, like ducks on a pond do. We have become so used to seeing and hearing the "bad" news, we are almost "Immune" to allowing it to sink into our brains.

Yet, when I read this... I was absolutely appalled on several levels. First of all, in my naive brain, I thought these kids that made this movie got paid, and probably paid well enough to help their families out. I also thought that if the movie was a "hit" or not, these kids would get some kind of residual income from the film. I had never given thought about the fact, that actors I guess are offered a certain sum of money up front, and that usually is the actors that are famous. It is hard for me to fathom these kids starred in this movie, and I am not sure if they were even paid a dime for it. If not, to me that is just as bad as child labor. Yes, they were in a movie, but it is still "working" when you are in a film.

Of course, when you "Google" this subject, you get all kinds of links to places... some stating the maker of the film "Danny Boyle" says that all of the kids were paid well. They also were brought over here to the Oscars night. He states they were also set up with education funds, and money later when they finish school and are adults. Some of the articles also state that all of their families will be given better housing, and taken out of the slums of Mumbai. Of course he is the producer, director and so forth, so I guess he could be hiding something, but all of us know the truth will come out one way or the other.

Here are a couple of links with the stories:

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2009/03/01/slumdog-children-money.html?ref=rss

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/271325/Slumdog-Millionaire-star-Rubina-Ali-who-played-Latika-is-offered-for-sale-by-dad-Rafiq-Qureshi-to-the-News-of-the-Worlds-Fake-Sheikh.html

The URL just above this is about the DAD of the little girl selling her off!!! Here she is, 9 years old and he is "cashing" in on his daughter like she is some kind of merchandise. This sounds like something from the dark ages... yet I in reality know child selling, child slave labor, babies being sold on the "black market" all still exist.

One step forward for humanity, then you see this and it makes me feel like I took 15 steps backwards.



Rhia



"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

- Anne Frank

These incidences are beginning to be Epidemic it seems.

This issue of contaminated medical equipment and reusing equipment that is supposed to be thrown completely away has become an all out epidemic lately. From the latest, which is this one in South Dakota, which potentially put over 5,000 people in possible jeopardy of contracting HIV, Hepatitis and any other blood borne diseases, to VA hospitals, clinics in Vegas, just to name a few. Our nation is NOT some "3rd world" country, that is so poor that hospitals and clinics need to save instruments. Further more, even if it is a piece that is re-used, what ever happened to complete and thorough sanitation and the autoclave of them?

After personally undergoing more than 10 surgeries and procedures over the past two years, this terrifies me, and I am sure it terrifies others also. We go in with confidence that the hospital or clinic we visit, along with our doctors, nurses, and other staff that care for us should be using sterilized EVERYTHING! What are we going to do? Go into the operating room before surgery and check to see if all of the equipment is either disposable or clean? We have enough worry on our plates anytime we go in for a procedure or visit the doctor when some type of invasive tests will go on, about the risks, and our health, without having to add more stress on patients and their families that equipment is contaminated. Between this, and all of the hundreds of food, toys, animal food, and other things that continue to pile up with diseases, or possibly deadly additives, and now this every day announcement of yet another large group of people exposed to blood borne diseases, it makes me wonder what the heck the FDA is doing? What is going on with the board that certifies these health care places? I also in the back of my mind wonder if all of this is not just a coincidence, or is it possibly some type of "attack" on us as citizens of the US? I realize that may sound far fetched, but with these happenings being almost epidemic in proportion, I really wonder about a link to terrorism on our own soil again.

Here is a link to the latest :

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/17/south.dakota.urology.infection/index.html?eref=rss_health

A Stressed Out Generation - Our Children

I just read an article that truly hit a note with me. With all of what is going on in our nation and world, with loss of jobs, foreclosures, the government, war, and more that keep us busy wondering about life etc... sometimes we do not stop to reflect upon just how all of the new stresses in our lives effect our kids. When you think about all kids have to deal with at home (they are smart enough to pick up on parents being upset and stressed), to some of what they must fear in school, church and other activities, it is no wonder we are raising more kids with illnesses, addictions, mental and physical problems.. from anxiety and depression, to obesity and diabetes, to kids developing even high blood pressure and more. They face stressors daily that we never gave a thought to when we were young. It is a very critical situation... one that needs to be addressed, but there are no easy answers to any of it.

To me, this fits right in with Domestic Violence, Violence against kids, and also autoimmune illnesses and disease. Stress can be a leading factor in many illnesses, and high stress has been researched and some indications that stress over a long period of time certainly can contribute to developing autoimmune illnesses.

Here is a link to the article....

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/16/children.fears/index.html

Food for thought... for sure... Rhia

A Stupid Remark by Tx Governor Rick Perry should have people up in arms!!!

I could not believe my ears last evening as I heard Rick Perry's remarks that were so ridiculous, they made national news! He had the audacity, or possibly stupidity is a better term, to say "We, talking about Texas as a state", be supporting and with "right winged extremists". Then he went on further to stick both feet in his mouth and say as a state Texas should secede and be its own independent entity, rather than unified with the nation. I hope that people all over Texas heard his asinine, and almost to the point as I read several articles this morning about his statements, to be "anti-American" to even utter the words that our state should "secede" from the "union".
He, as far as I am concerned is a total embarrassment to our grand state of Texas, and it truly burned me up to think he was so oblivious, he would even make stupid remarks such as these. He also vowed NOT to take stimulus money to help the thousands of unemployed workers here. That is another blow to his intelligence! To think that our own governor, knowing the dire straits of so many Texans all over the state, are suffering due to job loss, unable to find jobs, the higher price of groceries, gas, utilities, and everything else, plus people losing everything including their homes due to losing jobs, would turn down money to help is fellow Texans should make each and one of us mad as heck!
I hope that those of us that heard and now read his statements, shall really take a good look at him at re-election time, and decide he is NOT who we need as governor of Texas. These statements, which are just a few of many, Governor Perry has made makes our state look like we are a bunch of backwards, stupid, "Texans", and everyone should here should be totally embarrassed by his crude remarks.My hopes are that many other people here are as outraged over his remarks as I am! He, as you will read in the article below, tried to "cover over" his remarks, yet as some asked him to, he never apologized for what he said.

Here is a link to the entire story for you to read:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009072921_perry17.html?syndication=rss


What makes this even worse, I did not find an article in the Houston paper or a Texas news article, but this one was in the "Seattle Times"! I would hope our newspapers and news media will also have articles over his speech, as the "tea parties" here, will also publish what he said. These types of remarks need to be out in the public, so all of us can have a better understanding of why things in Texas are not what many of the people here want from our state. He is a huge part of the problem, when it comes to many issues for Texans. From the latest on unemployment, to his standing on many important issues, his attitude I would hope is not the attitude of the majority of Texas citizens.

I am still boiling over how his remarks are so entirely wrong. Please feel free to post your own opinions.

Rhia


Here are a few more links that have the story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/15/gov-rick-perry-texas-coul_n_187490.html

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/gen/ap/TX_Perry_Tea_Party.html

Help for those without prescription medication coverage

There are several places that help those in need of prescription
medications, that are without insurance, or insurance does not pay. I
went through the process for myself, before I got my disability, and now
I have helped my husband get his meds for either free from these
companies or for very little cost.




I found this article today and wanted to share the information with all
of you.

The one thing I have noticed is that doctors, knowing people are "cash"
paying patients, do not for some reason mention how to get their
medications cheaper,

or for free. I know they must know about the places, since there is even
advertising on television.




Here are some and a link to the article. It does work, you just have to
get the initial paperwork filled out correctly and also have your doctor
fill his part in.




https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php <https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php>







Link to entire article:




http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30093840
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30093840/>




http://www.patientassistance.com// <http://www.patientassistance.com/>


<http://www.patientadvocate.org/>

http://www.patientadvocate.org/ <http://www.patientadvocate.org/>




These are a few, and the article has links to several others also. It is
worth the time to get the paperwork (many times you can download it from
their websites, print it, and then fill it out, along with your doctor
filling his portion out, and sending it in. After that, then usually if
your doctor puts refills on the medications, you can call in, and get
the refills delivered right to your door.




Hope this helps... I know it has helped us immensely. My husbands
medications are so expensive, there is no way we could afford them, and
try and also pay for doctors visits.




Rhia