You Make Me Sick

Is KFC the New Dr. Conrad Murray?

This week got off to an interesting start on the health front.

The issues of prescription drug abuse and medical malpractice resurfaced when the Los Angeles Coroner released the official cause of Michael Jackson's death and classified it as a homicide. And the burden of obesity got heavier when KFC confirmed that it is testing a new product in two states that, when consumed with abandon, has the potential of being as deadly as the drugs that the King of Pop used to "get to heaven."

Obesity rates are sure to rise if the KFC Double Down Chicken Sandwich tests well and is rolled out to a restaurant near you. 

Bread, the foundational ingredient of a sandwich, is replaced in the Double Down with two fried chicken fillets and includes two strips of bacon; two slices of cheese (pepper jack and swiss); and a special mayo-based sauce that is named after the jolly-looking Colonel, who would be experiencing heart palpitations if he tried this sandwich.

People are saying that this is a publicity stunt and that KFC will not in good conscience sell you a high-calorie; high-fat; high-cholesterol; high-sodium; and high-priced ($6.99) chicken sandwich. Let us hope so because the last thing that we need is to find ourselves wallowing in the lows of obesity side effects after riding the highs of eating this beast of a sandwich.

Obesity is a $147 billion healthcare crises in this country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps track of obesity trends and found a dramatic increase in our body mass index, fatness and weight between 1985 and 2008. Only one state, Colorado, has an obesity rate of less than 20 percent. Mississippi has the highest rate with nearly 33 percent of its population being obese. We all know that people of color are disproportionately effected by most health epidemics and obesity is no exception. The prevalence of obesity among blacks (51 percent) and hispanics (21 percent) is higher than what is present among whites.

So I guess you want to know the connection between MJ's personal physician, Conrad Murray, MD and KFC? Two words: negligent homicide.

I know that reads dramatic. I do not believe that Dr. Murray intended to kill the King of Pop (as is alleged) when he administered lethal doses of propofol (anesthetic), valium (sedative) and lorazepam (sedative) to MJ in an effort to help him sleep. I am also certain that KFC does not plan to take you out by putting you at risk for obesity and other related illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis with its Double Down sandwich. Unfortunately the actions of KFC, like those of Dr. Murray, may have consequences beyond their intent...you may die.

So here is my advice to you: Stay away from the KFC Double Down Chicken Sandwich. Do not organize any taste test trips to Rhode Island or Nebraska. Do not mobilize your Facebook, Twitter or real-life friends in re-post, tweet or e-mail campaigns in support of this sandwich. You will make us both sick if you do! 

Someone is Infected with HIV Every 9 1/2 Minutes. What's Your Status?

 

I had a hard time getting started on this post.

 

My trouble is that I want us to have a real conversation about HIV. One that changes behavior (makes you stop doing crazy stuff that can kill you) and empowers (makes you do something within your sphere of influence to prevent at least one new HIV diagnosis).

 

My interest in our tackling this problem began a couple of months ago when a high school classmate, Octavia Richmond, MPH, posted an announcement about free HIV screenings on her Facebook profile. Octavia serves as program director of the HIV/STD Care Center at Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago. She and her staff are committed to slowing down and, eventually, stopping the spread of HIV in South Shore - a community on the South Side that has extremely high infection rates.

 

Octavia and her staff were hosting an HIV awareness event in recognition of National Testing Day. My plan was to get a little background on HIV and the event and to do a small post that encouraged you to get tested. Octavia and I talked and to say that I felt overwhelmed is an understatement. I had a shock and awe experience.

 

You know that YOU MAKE ME SICK is about solutions, right? But before we can make a difference in slowing down and stopping the spread of HIV, we have to know the facts:

 

Someone is infected with HIV every 9 1/2 minutes.

Did you get that? In the time that it takes you to make breakfast, read this blog post, write a couple of e-mails, make a phone call, upload a CD to iTunes or have an orgasm someone is infected with HIV, which, over time, damages the immune system and puts people at risk for illnesses that they would not normally get.

 

1 Million people are living with HIV and 20 percent of them do not know it.

Let me break that down for you. There are at least 200,000 people in the United States (just so you are clear that we are not talking about "third-world" countries) who do not know that they are infected with the virus that causes AIDS. HIV infection leads to the development of AIDS and you can find a more detailed explanation of the connection between the two by visiting the website of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago at www.aidschicago.org. 

 

HIV/AIDS is not a gay man's disease.

Black men and women and Hispanic men have extremely high HIV infection rates when compared with other ethnic groups. Nearly 500,000 of the 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS are black. And black women, most of them heterosexual, account for 61 percent of new HIV infections and make up 66 percent of people living with AIDS. Blacks are losing mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, daughters, sons, cousins, grandmothers, grandfathers, neighbors, and friends to this disease at rates that are not experienced by any other group.

 

No one is exempt from HIV. No one.

Octavia shared that teens and seniors think that they are untouchable when it comes to HIV infection. At the time of our conversation, a 74-year-old man who received services at her Center tested positive for HIV.

 

* * *

 

I was able to categorize the plethora of information that I received from Octavia into three action items:

 

1. Awareness: Know your status.

There are free or low-cost HIV and STD testing centers in your area. To find one, enter your zip code in this widget:

 

2. Educate: Remove the stigma and have safe sex.

My next post will be a profile on Evany Turk, an HIV-positive inspiration. Subscribe to this blog (see link in top right corner) so that you do not miss her call to action.

 

3. Collaborate: Let's work together on this. 

It will take a collective effort - individuals, groups, government, faith community - to slow down and stop the spread of HIV. Send me an e-mail or post a comment with referrals of people and organizations that are making a difference and I will highlight them on YOU MAKE ME SICK. 

 

* * *

 

So let's talk. To get the conversation started I asked a few of you to share your HIV testing histories. You said: 

 

I got tested twice in 1992 when I discovered that I was in a monogamous relationship but my boyfriend wasn't. Married, female, 36.

 

I got tested once a year when I was in the military. It was part of my annual physical. Divorced, male, 37.

 

I have been tested for HIV twice. Once in college and then right before I got married. My husband and I both got tested before we got married. To me, it was simple. I knew I'd participated in risky behavior and felt it was my responsibility to get tested - both for myself and my future husband. Married, female, 33.

 

I have been tested twice this year. Once as part of my physical exam and again when I gave blood. Single, male, 35.

 

I made getting an HIV test a part of my annual physical regardless of whether I've had sex. This makes the process seem more routine and eliminates anxiety on my end. Single, female, 30.

 

Now it is your turn.

 

Do you know your status? If not, how can we help you?

 

Is that too personal?

 

If so, share an idea on how you will make a difference. Keep in mind that the goal is to impact your sphere of influence. That can mean that you support a friend who is afraid to get tested by going with him or her to an HIV test center.

Mr. President, You Got Caught Up in Henry Louis Gates' Mess

Dear President Obama,

This has been a busy week in Black America, hasn't it?

First your boy, Henry Louis Gates aka Skip, had a run-in with the Cambridge Police Department in Massachusetts.  Then CNN aired its second exploration of negrodian life with its Black in America 2 documentary.  Needless to say the program was met with a mixture of praise and contempt -- mostly the latter.

I am disappointed with some of the response to Black in America 2 but that's not the purpose of this note.  I am writing to share my thoughts on your response to Lynn Sweet's (Chicago Sun-Times) question about the significance of Skip's arrest and a little of my mother's advice.

I know, I know, you get unsolicited feedback from people all the time.  My goal is not to criticize but to encourage you to remain focused on the bigger picture -- economic recovery; education and health care reforms; Iraq and Afghanistan resolutions; and positive international relations. 

Mr. President, I wish that you would've told Lynn, and all Americans, that Skip's arrest was being handled and didn't require attention from the White House.   

You and I know that there's a chance that race ignited this fire.  If that's the case, it started with Lucia Whalen, Skip's neighbor, who struck the match when she called the police while watching Skip and his driver try to get into his home.

Let's give Lucia the benefit of the doubt and say that she had difficulty distinguishing one Black man from another and preferred to err on the side of caution rather than regret.  Or let's acknowledge the darker, no pun intended, reality that Lucia leveraged Skip's misfortune (being locked out of his home) as a passive-aggressive attempt to make known her race-laced displeasure with living near a Black man or an interracial couple.

We can speculate for days about Lucia's motives, Mr. President, but it would not be fruitful.  In addition, that is not the part of this saga that received a response from you.

I am not convinced that Sgt. James Crowley and his colleagues "acted stupidly" when they arrested Skip as you stated.  I think that they cuffed and charged Skip because he repeatedly popped off at the mouth.

Skip's good has likely outweighed his bad and he has done well as a tenured leader at Harvard and author and with his documentaries.  I can see how he may have forgotten that he is Black in America, 2, as well as the rules that govern a Black man's interaction with the police.  More than that, I believe that Skip's self-perception and inflated ego may have caused him to be uncooperative.  Skip had a "do you know who I am" moment that he has turned into a racial incident. 

That's why I wish that your response to Lynn would've been different. 

Now you are in the unfortunate position of being tangled up in Cambridge-gate and having to smooth over ruffled feathers among the boys in blue.  This at a time when your attention needs to be on matters that are more important than Skip's ego.

So, here are the words of wisdom that my mother shared with me and now I share with you:

1) Be still and find out what's going on before you jump into things

2) You can't comment on everything; sometimes you have to keep your opinions to yourself

I am sure that this will be water under the bridge soon for you and, please, don't worry about Skip.  Farai Chideya, author and newswoman extraordinaire, best summed up his fate in a recent tweet.  She said that there will be a gold (not a silver) lining in all of this for Skip.  

Let's take bets on if this will yield a new book or documentary.  If it's a documentary, do you think CNN will air it?  And will Black America give it a chance?

Hope for Black Love Restored at CNN Black in America 2 Preview

I have been concerned, scared and hopeless about the state of Black love. Not quite the appropriate emotions to carry as a Christian who is called to be carefree, courageous and hopeful.

The numbers about Black love tell a sober and somber story. Forty-five (45) percent of Black women in the U.S. have never been married. When compared to Whites, Hispanics and Asians, Black women are least likely to get married.

Sixty (60) percent of Black homes were headed by married couples in the early 1960s; today, the number has dropped to less than 30 percent. As if that was not enough, Blacks have higher divorce rates than Whites, Hispanics and Asians.

This ain't good for me and my single friends. So, earlier this year, I tried to do something within my sphere of influence to improve the odds. 

I hosted a co-ed discussion about Black love with a focus on what makes men tick. The goal was to  have everyone, especially the women, read Steve Harvey's "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man," and to have the men in the room expound upon the themes of the book.

In my mind, Black men and women need to get over, under, around or through the impasse that exists. And a couple of hours together would be the beginning of better understanding and the start of productive, enjoyable dates and courtships for everyone.

Things did not turn out the way that I planned.

Some of the blame is with me. I could have done a better job of setting up the conversation and desired outcome. But more than anything, my evening of empowerment, reconciliation and hope turned into a night of provocative and pointless comments and a contest to see who wore Magnum XLs.

My guests do not know this, well, maybe some do, but I checked out mentally and emotionally that night. I turned my attention away from wanting people to be more likeable to pouring drinks and pushing finger food. I ended my night by getting in the bed and crying big ol' tears of embarrassment, frustration and disappointment.

Since that evening, my discontent has grown and began to come out in ways that have not served me well. Thankfully, two days ago, I carried my dissatisfaction with Black love, in general, and my love life, specifically, to a preview screening of CNN's Black in America 2 and left it in the theater. I found hope in the story of James and Tina Barnes and the Wedded Bliss Foundation.

The WBF is based in Washington, DC and was formed by Nisa Muhammad who currently serves as its executive director. Nisa's mission is to bring resources, support and direction to the Black community so that happy marriages are the rule and not the exception.

One of the resources featured in Black in America 2 is the WBF's Basic Training for Couples. This is an 8-week program that teaches the skills needed to have healthy relationships and marriages. The training was developed by Nisa and Dr. Rozario Slack and focuses on the importance of marriage, "sweetness of surrender," productive communication skills and positive conflict resolution. There is also a Basic series for singles, women and men.

This is it, people. Black men and women can have loving, healthy partnerships because someone saw the need for positive relationship modeling and marriage instruction and acted!

I am not going to give away the details of James and Tina's story. You and I will have to watch Black in America 2 on July 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. eastern/7 p.m. central to find out if the WBF was able to help the couple.  In addition, CNN has prepared a study guide that you can use to facilitate conversations around all aspects of the documentary; visit www.cnn.com/specials/2009/black.in.america to access.

This blog is about solutions and I have, with encouragement from the WBF, accepted responsibility for supporting a paradigm shift with regard to Black love. 

The WBF spearheads Black Marriage Day, which is an annual event designed to celebrate black marriage and help children, teens and adults understand why marriage matters.  The next Black Marriage Day will be held on March 28, 2010, and I am going to respond to the WBF's call to action by organizing a workshop or celebration in my city.

What are you going to do?

NAACP: Relevant or Obsolete?

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is halfway through its annual conferenceand 100th anniversary.

Did you know that Illinois, my home state, was instrumental in the formation of the NAACP?  Yep, the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 was the catalyst for the establishment of the civil and social justice organization. 

100 years is a long time to be in existence...and remain relevant.  The NAACP has struggled with the latter and appears to be trying to turn things around with the appointment of Ben Jealous as its president and CEO.  But is it too late?

Erroll Louis of the New York Daily News doesn't think so.  Read his column, "Follow This Man: As NAACP Turns 100, Its New Leader Benjamin Todd Jealous Knows Where to March, to learn why he just spent $750 on a lifetime membership.

So, what do you think...

• Is the NAACP still relevant?
• Is the national body with local chapters model obsolete?
• How do you believe or envision civil rights, social justice and equality issues being tackled going forward?
• In what ways are you addressing civil rights, social justice and equality issues (use this as an opportunity to build awareness for your cause or organization)?

Perspectives on Michael Jackson

Hello, conversationalists.

It may sound cliche but it is an undeniable truth that Michael Jackson provided the soundtrack of our lives.  I remember my mother playing "Enjoy Yourself," "Good Times" and "Dreamer" when I was a child and the day that my father came home with the "Off the Wall" album -- the greatest, in my opinion, Michael Jackson album of all time. 

I considered those songs and albums heirlooms.  Today, I learned that the original, scratched-up albums are gone and I weep because it feels like markers of different stages of my life are gone with them. 

Below are two guest commentaries about Michael Jackson and his impact on two generations: Gen X and Millennials.  Both authors are dear to me and immediately felt the enormity of Michael Jackson's death in ways that didn't hit me until today.  

I hope that you enjoy their words and I invite you to share your thoughts about the king of pop.

 

MILLENNIAL PERSPECTIVE

Michael Jackson and his Music are Like Love

By Bediah Bell

After having been baptized in my tears for days, I have finally gathered myself enough to speak coherently about the man, the legend who has been an inspiration to me.

Finding words to describe the way that Michael Jackson and his music make me feel is like trying to explain how you felt the first time you experienced love.  Since everyone is not as big a Michael Jackson fan as I am, I will use love, a feeling or emotion to which most of us can relate, to express my thoughts.  

Everyone has done, said or felt something they never thought they would when in love. Things may surface that are uncharacteristic of who you are. Michael Jackson has made me do some things that I would say are uncharacteristic of me.

I have found myself in my living room, by my lonesome, blasting his album HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, dancing around like a fool, falling to my knees singing “Earth Song,” having an out of body experience.   This is not common considering that I do not get excited about a whole lot of things; but love can make you act abnormal.

Love is selfless.  Listening to “We Are the World” or “Heal the World,” Michael Jackson made me care about people and world issues. 

The undeniable greatness of Michael Jackson’s talent has rendered me vulnerable and taken me through emotional rides, from feel good songs like “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” to cries of frustration in “Leave Me Alone.” 

If it is not obvious that I LOVE the late, great Michael Jackson then you do not know what it feels like to love.  Michael Jackson was the personification of love and his music will live on forever to be an eternal reminder of God’s love for us and our purpose to serve a greater good.

Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer of all time and I am grateful to have enjoyed his work while he was with us.

I love you, Mike.  May God rest your soul.

Black Power!

 

 

 

 

 

GENERATION X PERSPECTIVE

Michael Jackson: Pop Deity? Musical Demigod?

By Dell Jackson

 

Still, as I write this, several days after his passing and on the eve of his public memorial service, it all seems so surreal.  On that regrettable Thursday in June, and the days that followed, the feelings that  overcame me ran the gamut.  I felt numb.  I was in disbelief.  I experienced grief. 

 

Losing Michael Jackson is akin to losing family for me.  After all, he literally created the soundtrack to my life.  Michael's music was the one friend that had always been there.  I celebrated highs with his music.  I danced away angst to his music.  And I sought comfort in his music.  This mix of emotion is ironically befitting of Michael Jackson and his life.

 

Dichotomy and Michael Jackson are indeed synonymous and he seemed to revel in contradiction.  Often described as a "man-child," Michael bended gender, transitioned from a skin tone of brown to vitiligo white and exhibited both angelic and, reportedly, nefarious qualities.  Michael Jackson cannot be examined without acknowledging his seemingly innate ability to be a self-contained disparity.  In fact, he seemed to contrast himself so much that his contradictions would eventually fuse like osmosis, creating a hybrid existence. 

 

Michael Jackson's generosity, philanthropy, child-like innocence, mass adulation from international audiences, and beautifully composed anthems clearly demonstrate that his talents were God given and he was here to do the Creator's work.  Like every person who walks this earth, Michael was far from being one dimensional. 

 

Surely questions will continue to swirl about the cause of his tragic and untimely demise, his "gepetto-crafted physical appearance or his relationship with and affinity for children.  In my estimation, Michael Jackson's gift (artistry, talent, love) supersedes everything.  What Michael Jackson brought to the WORLD trumps all else.  Why?  Because it is all fact.  Documented.  Recorded.  Real.  

 

There is no denying how Michael Jackson impacted American culture; eventually transcending into a global icon that touched tens of millions of lives.  The moment that you pit Michael Jackson's artistry and humanity against speculation, innuendo, rumor and unproven, unsubstantiated claims, the latter pales in comparison.  In fact, there is no comparison.

 

Michael Jackson IS the King of Pop, Rock and Soul (as originally bestowed upon him at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards) but even that is somewhat limiting.  Michael Jackson IS pop culture royalty.  He IS a pop deity.  And, yes, he IS a musical demigod. 

 

His abbreviated discography and worldwide sales include: Got To Be There (1971) – 4,112,879; Ben (1972) – 4,401,605; Music and Me (1973) – 1,980,440; Forever, Michael (1975) – 1,687,234; Off The Wall (1979) – 20,000,000; Thriller (1982) – 65,000,000; Bad (1987) – 33,000,000; Dangerous (1991) – 30,000,000; HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book l (1995) – 22,000,000 (44 million units); Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997) – 8,000,000; Invincible (2001) – 12,000,000; Greatest Hits HIStory Volume 1 (2001) – 3,000,000; Number Ones (2003) – 7,000,000; Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection (2004) – 500,000; The Essential Michael Jackson (2005) – 2,500,000; Visionary: The Video Singles (2006) – 500,000; and Thriller: 25th Anniversary (2008) – 3,000,000.

 

He stands alone and is comparable to none.

How Was Your Father's Day?

UPDATE (10:15 a.m.):  Last night I shared this post with my friend before uploading and was stunned by his response – “it is positive.”  I can see his point.  He knows that I have not spoken with my father in nearly two years; at first because I did not want to and now because I have not created an opportunity.  My thoughts and feelings about Father’s Day are focused on the positive because anger, bitterness and resentment were not good for my emotional, mental, spiritual or physical health.  I needed to change my diet!  I don’t want to discount anyone’s feelings or experience and welcome your good, bad and ugly comments.  YOU MAKE ME SICK is a place of healing and I implore you to do whatever you feel necessary to get well.  My choice is to feast on a diet of joy, understanding and forgiveness.  I hope that my friend will, too. 

 

- - - - -

I had a conversation with a friend last week about doing a Father’s Day post.  We decided that it would be interesting to check in with and get feedback from people the day after homage is paid to DNA contributors, sacrifice makers and surrogate fathers.

 

Two things come to mind – solutions and healing – when I think about YOU MAKE ME SICK and that is how I approached Father’s Day.  My focus was on forgiveness.

 

I know that my father did the best that he could on some fronts and I will acknowledge that he could have done things better or differently on others.  My adult eyes can see that he did not fully understand that fathers are a reflection of God’s love, strength and leadership because he likely did not have that kind of modeling in his life. 

 

I refused to beat him up for what he was not exposed to, be bitter about what he was unable to express or give shout outs to my mother because Father’s Day is not about her.  Instead, I chose to focus on the good times that I had with my father:

 

1. Learning how to play Old Maid, Go Fish, Gin Rummy, War and Spades.  He tried to teach me Bid Whist but I kept thinking I was playing Spades.

 

2. Experiencing his protection when we walked down the street with his insistence that I walk closest to the buildings.  And his coming to my defense when Daryl Thompson smacked me for not giving him some of my 7-Up.  Take that, punk!

 

3. Going to the movies at Water Tower Place and Great America.  I hated the roller coasters but loved the popcorn, soft pretzels and ICEEs.

 

4. Watching him fix ANYTHING that needed repairing.  If these 2009 men only knew! 

 

5. Trekking to the pet store and getting fish for the tank (because my mother wouldn’t let us have any other pet) and chasing after the renegade tadpoles during a tank cleaning.

 

6. Introducing a new album or artist into the music mix that filled our home.

 

7. Getting my way because he didn’t want me upset with him.  Hey, what girl doesn’t work her daughter magic?! 

 

So what went through your mind on Father's Day -- as a son, daughter, father, mother or conscientious observer?

 

After looking back on the day, what do you plan to do differently with your father or in your role as a father figure?

Oakland Beauty Salon Beatdown: WTF is up with people?

Have you seen the video of the Oakland-based hairstylist getting the beat down of the decade?

I’m sure you have.  But on the chance that you don’t have any friends or family who care about you enough to include you on their forwards and e-mail chains, check out the video here:

 

 

 

In the spirit of YOU MAKE ME SICK, here’s why, after watching this video, I have a little vomit in my mouth:

I’M PREGNANT.  After the smack upside the head, three punches to the face, body toss, choking, six blows to the head, and improper removal of hair weave, the woman getting the beating yelled, “I’m pregnant.”  We all know that her motive was to slow things down or stop them all together, but relief never came.  No pause from her attacker or the people in the salon on the chance that she might be pregnant.  That’s an ugly commentary about the value placed on human life. 

YOUTUBE CELEBRITIES AND WANNABE FILMMAKERS.  Who is the fool holding the camera?  And yelling, “One at a time?”  Don’t they know that they are involved in a criminal act?  I don’t know the penal code, so I can’t list the crime here, but surely criminal charges are coming.  Where you at Oakland PD?

EXPLAIN REASON FOR BEAT DOWN.  I think that whippings are better tolerated when people know why they’re being “reprimanded.”  My mother used to smack me in my mouth all the time when I was growing up and she would explain the reason:  “I told you not to…” or “Who do you think you’re talking to…”  The stylist kept asking for an explanation and didn’t receive one until she had been beaten for more than five minutes and the fight moved next door.  Hearing the stylist repeatedly ask why was unsettling.

SPEAKING OF NEXT DOOR.  Too often I hear men say they don’t break up fights.  I can get behind some of the reasons but, I cannot lie, it bothers me when men don’t help women.  I can only guess at what was up with the burly brother at the shop next door.  Maybe he believes that women’s rights give women the right to degrade, humiliate and violate each other.  Here’s a tip for the men: It is never okay to watch two women brawl in the street.  Need a reason to come to the aid of a woman?  How about you came from a woman and, therefore, you honor women by helping women.    

SISTERS YOU ARE NOT OFF THE HOOK.  You disrupted someone’s business and negatively impacted their livelihood.  You videotaped the degradation and humiliation of a woman.  You held another woman hostage (when you blocked the door) so that she could be savagely beaten by another woman.  You further took the sting out of being called a bitch with your bitch-laced tirade.  You let the world know that you’re an ignorant, loud, foul-mouthed, and foolish thug and that you are okay with being that way.  What is going on with girls and women?  Where is the honor and self-respect?  Is the sisterhood salvageable?

- - - - -

Did this video MAKE YOU SICK?  If so, why? 

What are you doing or can you do within your sphere of influence to make sure that we don’t see another video like this again?

Welcome to YOU MAKE ME SICK!

 

I have been talking about blogging for a long time. Hours, days, months, and maybe even years have been spent identifying a focal point and I am happy to have landed on YOU MAKE ME SICK.

 

This is a conversation portal that is focused on health, fitness, lifestyle and medical topics with a specific interest in the Black community.  In addition, YOU MAKE ME SICK is a place where we can ruminate about the cultural, political and social influences that impact the vitality and vibrancy of our lives.

 

Can we agree that talking is not enough?

 

The goal of YOU MAKE ME SICK is to be solution-oriented.  I am confident that we can, together, prevent, diagnose, treat and cure all that ails.  I know that sounds ambitious, but we're going to do it our way and within our circle of influence.

 

So, I invite you to share ideas and join the conversation.  The only requirement is that you don't make me sick with stupid comments or suggestions.