Somewhere Over The Rainbow...

Here are pics of last nights event. I did a very last minutes rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." I was also the event planner for this event and it came off quite well. The group is Artists In Action International. You can visit us at www.artistsinactionint.org.

I am so happy to finally be coming up for air after this, event planning is quite a task. Especially when you are also a single mom and have a full time job!

Letters to the editor, newsday.com

More mental health services, and even involuntary mental health screenings, have been proposed to prevent repetition of the Virginia Tech massacre. But the mass murderer did get mental health care in a hospital.

He then rejected further treatment. The drug-only treatment he got may well have aggravated his disturbance.

Good mental health care is based on continuing, caring human contact: knowledgable people helping troubled people with problems, while strengthening and reassuring them. Medication, often with little or no meaningful human contact, has now almost entirely replaced that older care pattern. That's what the killer got. And anti-depressant drugs, like those he was given, can themselves intensify suicidal and homicidal thoughts and behavior.

When considering the effectiveness of mental health services, we should recognize that in the 50 years since drugs began to be psychiatry's main treatment modality, there has been a five-fold increase in the fraction of mentally disabled in the population.

Before hurrying to expand mental health services, we should examine more critically the results of treatment methods.

Dr. Nathaniel S. Lehrman

Editor's note: The writer is former clinical director of Kingsboro Psychiatric Center and former assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein and SUNY Downstate Colleges of Medicine.

Roslyn

www.newsday.com

More on School Shootings

From Fox National News Reporter, Douglas Kennedy:

From Filmmaker (Remember Bowling For Columbine?) Michael Moore

It truly works!

I finally found a concealer that works! This one actually blends in to my skin with out making me look too orange or too pasty. I happen to be a neutral and fair skinned and it really does hide my dark circles.

All of the colors (fair, medium, etc) also come in warm, cool and neutral so they truly blend in to your skin. When it comes time to replace my foundation, blush, etc I will being going back to the true match line, it just looks so natural.

Major plus that it's cheap too!

The shooter was on anti depressants

I received this email today:

We would like to express our condolences to those that lost family members or friends. What happened in Blacksburg, VA is a loss to humanity.
Several investigators have recently reported that the assailant had been treated for depression with antidepressants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Public Health Advisory of March 22, 2004 identified the side effects of SSRI antidepressants, stating, “Anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, akathisia (severe restlessness), and mania (psychosis), have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants.” SSRI antidepressants have documented side effects of suicide, mania, psychosis, aggression and hostility.
It is time for a Congressional investigation into the link associated with psychotropic drugs and school violence. We must all contact our representatives and let them know that this is a national issue and that we demand an investigation into a link that even the FDA admits. It is time to speak out so that the children at Virginia Tech did not die in vain.
Please take a moment and contact your Congressional leaders now! It is time to act. It will only take a moment and may prevent future massacres in our learning institutions. If we keep our schools drug and label free, they will be safer too.

For the safety of our children this must be investigated. He is not the first school shooter who was on anti depressants. In fact, he is the 9th. This is a documented side effect of these drugs, why is nothing being done about it?!? Whether you agree with these drugs or not, the fact of the matter is that these are the side effects and as an absolute minimum it needs to be investigated.

Mommy Style - Blue Jean News

The good news is that "Mom jeans" are out, and have been for a while. The even better news is that the ultra low rise trend that frightened the begezus out of us is also out. Yes, rises are rising! It seems we have pendulum swung so don't be surprised if you see rises so high they put mom jeans to shame. None the less, rises are now at an acceptable range, just bellow the belly button.

My advice to moms who are going to treat themselves to some new jeans (you deserve it, right?) is to follow a few basic rules:

1. Boot cut (not flare) is figure flattering on everyone. They are not a trend and can be your go to jean until they fall apart.

2. The darker the wash the slimmer you look. If you are concerned with bumps and lumps, go dark.

3. Embellishments and spot fading bring attention to the area where the embellishment or fading is located. If you have large thighs (as I do) don't get jeans with fading on the thigh area! If you have a nice arse and want to bring attention to it get jeans with a little extra something on the back pockets.

4. Beware of the muffin top! Your jeans are too low or too tight if you have a ring of flab hanging over the top and resembles the shape of a muffin.

5. Wear appropriate shoes when you shop for jeans. Jeans that are too long look sloppy and jeans that are too short look, well, stupid. :) If you are looking for a nice pair of jeans to wear out at night, bring a pair of heals to try on with them. Keep in mind that sometimes the perfect length is unattainable and be prepared to have them altered. I'm 5'4" and have to have a pair of jeans for heals and a separate pair altered to be short enough for flats.

6. Before you commit to a pair, walk around in them, sit down in them, get down on the floor and crawl in them. OK, I'm exaggerating a little but come on, we all have kids right? Make sure they are comfortable to MOVE in.

7. Keep in mind the time of day you are shopping. We all tend to be a few lbs heavier at the end of the day and during that time of the month. If you are shopping in the morning keep in mind that you will need a little room to expand.

8. Plan to take some time when hunting for the perfect pair of jeans. They don't have to be expensive but nothing feels better than the perfect pair of broken in jeans that flatter. If you are not sure, take a camera to the dressing room so you can take pics of you in them to look at later or to show to friends to get an honest opinion.

I'm here

I lost my computer when I left so I have not been on line much recently. I decided to use my lunch break to do a little blogging.

Not much to say other than the in-laws know now and as expected I am the evil queen bitch of the universe. My best friend (since we were 14) is also my sister-in-law so she fills me in on it all. Apparently I "broke my mother in law because I took her baby away", I am "tearing the family apart" and I am "the reason STBXH (soon to be x-husband) never calls them."

They give me far too much credit, doncha think? ;)

This is of course, on top of the famous "High Maintenance" line my MIL started. Tell me this... If two people are in a relationship and one of them sits around and refuses to help, expects the other to handle everything and bitches and complains about not getting what they want while the other one does 99% of the work, works their arse off and still manages to keep the other *mostly* satisfied, who would you say is the "High Maintenance" one?

Eat it MIL.

A note to the In-laws: You do NOT want to go to battle with me. Trust me. I will run you in to the ground, you alcoholic SOBs.