Motherly Law

EpiPen Access in Schools: Anaphylactic Emergencies and Common Sense

Food Allergies

While my boys don't have any food allergies that I'm aware of, as a mom, I can understand the fear and anxiety that a parent of a child with food allergies must feel when his or her child is in the care of anyone else. I would imagine going to any public location could be dangerous, especially for those with severe allergies to commonly consumed foods like nuts, eggs and dairy products.

The worry of not knowing if a peanut butter and jelly sandwich had been eaten by the former occupant of a picnic table at the park; if the birthday party your child is attending is serving milk to all the kids; or if all the kids in your child's classroom are aware of the severity of the allergy and the dire consequences if the particular food comes in contact with your child could be all-consuming I would imagine. I would think it would be enough to make a parent obsessed with making sure everyone is aware of these allergies.

A food allergy is not to be taken lightly. A child with a severe food allergy could die very quickly if the allergen has any kind of contact with the child and the child does not have immediate access to epinephrine. This very sad truth has recently been in the news.

Ammaria's Tragic Death

Ammaria Johnson, age 7, died at school on her first day back to school in January after the winter break when a classmate, unaware of her allergy, gave Ammaria a peanut to eat while the girls were out on the playground. Shortly thereafter, after noticing hives and having trouble breathing, Ammaria sought help.

The school clinic didn't have an EpiPen on file for Ammaria. An EpiPen, or an Epinephrine auto-injector, quickly and easily is injected into a person suffering from an anaphylactic emergency, thereby reversing the reaction and saving a life. Instead, Ammaria went into cardiac arrest and died before Epinephrine could be administered to her.

EpiPens

EpiPens are by prescription only. Many kids with allergies keep a prescribed EpiPen with their names on them in the nurse's office at school for such emergencies. However, studies have shown that anaphylactic emergencies at school often occur with no prior knowledge of such an allergy.

However, if a child and/or staff member without a prescribed EpiPen on file with the school nurse's office goes into anaphylactic shock, even if there is an EpiPen available for another child, school personnel cannot administer that life-saving medication due to legal issues. More than likely, there was an EpiPen in the very school clinic where Ammaria died.

This and other such tragedies are too much too bear. When there is a life-saving solution available at one's fingertips, one should have access to it. There should be no "red tape" or threat of lawsuit, criminal prosecution or loss of license stopping anyone from administering this life-giving serum.

School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act

Last November, a bill that would cut through this red tape and give those in need of an EpiPen at school access regardless of whether there was one on file for that particular child was introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 1884). And in December, this bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR. 3627). It has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act would allow for schools to maintain a stock of EpiPens and administer such injections, just as they do bandages. The stock of EpiPens would not be prescribed to any particular students, but would instead be at the ready for any child and/or staff who experienced an anaphylactic emergency while at school.

This bill does allow for protection of school personnel from liability in administering such emergency injection. However, it's worth noting that if epinephrine is administered without need, a child would merely experience light-headedness, rapid heart rate and nausea, which would last only 15 minutes or so. Epinephrine is dangerous only to children with congenital heart conditions, which should be noted in school records. On the flip side, a child in need of epinephrine can die without it.

The Scoop

While this act is too late to save Ammaria, it could be instrumental in preventing many other deaths in similar circumstances. Ammaria is certainly not the first child to die at school due to anaphylactic shock, and she won't be the last if this common sense bill doesn't become law.

The saddest part of this story is that Ammaria's death was preventable, but we have become too restrained by the threat of punitive actions if protocol is not followed precisely. When a child's life is in danger, all protocol should go out the window.

If you feel strongly about this bill, please email your U.S. senators and representatives. This is a nonpartisan issue we can all support. Over and out...

Anna

The Land of Opportunity No More {On a Soapbox}

That Which is Lost

Where is this land of opportunity our forefathers have written about? Where is this land of plenty where ingenuity and hard work are rewarded? Where is this land of promise where those who want to work and strive to grow and create and help are given the chance? Once, this place was the United States of America, but I would argue those days are gone.

Gone are the days that bright, young professionals full of dreams and ideas could by chance meet a big wig executive in an elevator on the 1^st floor and have a job working under this exec by the 21^st floor. Gone are the days that a person without exactly the right qualifications, but with the drive and smarts to excel in a particular job applied for and got an {in-person} interview and was hired. Gone are days that people could do something simply because it was the right thing to do and not worry that some red tape somewhere down the road would cause a conflict.

A rather dreary outlook, you say? Perhaps, but would you argue with these statements? I am certainly not saying that these things never happen, but in today's world luck, connections and wealth are the most important components to succeeding in life.

What Has Happened?

I realize that everyone has a different idea of how to define the word "success", but even still stop and think about the most powerful people in our country {and by power I mean influence, dollars paid and amount of control} and you will see what I mean. Ultimately, it comes down to luck, connections and wealth.

The legislators, the courts, corporate America and human resources departments have placed so many limits and restrictions and have driven up costs and requirements and forms to be submitted that we have lost much of our willingness to give people a chance and our spirit of enterprise.

It's unheard of to actually go to an office and drop off a resume in hopes of catching the boss in and having an interview right at that moment or scoring some points based on your appearance or just happening to walk in the right place at the right time. And chances are if you did drop off your resume in person, the receptionist at the front desk sitting in front of the big doors that lead to all the other employees would politely tell you to please fill out the e-application on their website.

Even if you are given a chance at an interview, chances are, you'll first fill out an online "survey", move on to a boiler plate Q &A with the HR rep over the phone and then just maybe score an in-person interview with the most junior person on the team. And if you don't match every single qualification listed; you will never be contacted in any form.

Those Without a Job Need Not Apply

One of the most discouraging, completely lunatic policies recently emerging from the corporate back rooms is that they will not hire someone who doesn't have a job at the time of the interview or have for a very short time been without a job. The argument is that people who have been laid off, fired or have taken some time off for any reason are lazy, dull-headed and overall poor employees, having been out of the work force.

This is utterly ridiculous considering the economy we are living in. I recently read an article that contradicted that assumption. A study had been done that showed that in the first two weeks or so of losing a job for any reason, the person floundered a bit, watched more TV, read books and was basically inactive. After those two weeks, the vast majority of those people began looking for work and/or taking on more house duties, such as cleaning, taking care of kids and elderly family members, doing the laundry and cooking and running errands. Others began volunteering or helping neighbors, working on projects that had been put off due to work schedules, etc. Very few of those without jobs continued to pursue a lazy lifestyle.

It is shocking to me that those who could very well be in that same position the following day, week or year, would introduce such a policy. What kind of message does this send to college students or recent grads; what kind of future are we offering our children if the parents can't get jobs because they are out of a job through no fault of their own or even because of a fault of their own, but are looking for work?

All Hail the Almighty Dollar

To me, this screams of elitism, fascism and narrow-mindedness. For today, our country is still a democracy, at least in name, which means we are still free to think and dream and create our own opportunities.

These entrepreneurs who create their own opportunities are bright, feisty, fresh and diligent, but that's often not enough today. Regardless of how brilliant an idea or how perfect a plan or how amazing a dream NOTHING speaks louder than the Almighty Dollar. And cold, hard cash is something most unemployed, under-employed and freshly graduated would-be leaders of industry do not have enough of.

The Scoop

Which brings me to this question; is the poem inscribed at the base of our Lady Liberty still relevant?

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of you teamming shore. Send these, homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

 

From New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

I would argue no. Those who are in control of our country do not want to deal with those who are wanting of anything, especially those who come from outside our shores. Even those who want to work in order to not be tired, poor and homeless {or those who are nearly homeless, as in the case of foreclosure} will find that they are cast aside by the captains of industry and the "pawns" in the capitols of our country. Over and out...

Anna

Anna the Enforcer: PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN {2012 Distracted Driving Challenge}

A New Job

A few months ago, Darling 1 and I were out running errands. I was pulling out of a parking lot when a car almost backed into my vehicle. I honked, and I stared at the rearview mirrors to get a good look at the driver. That's when I saw it. The driver was too busy talking on the phone to notice that my vehicle was directly behind hers when she started backing up; she was a Distracted Driver.

At this point, she had backed out and was now directly behind me. I slowed down and glared at her via the side mirror and then slowly proceeded to the corner. All the while, Darling 1 was aware what was going on. When I got to the corner, I stopped and intended to turn right. The woman who nearly backed into me intended to turn left; therefore, at the stop sign she was directly next to my car.

I looked straight at her, as she continued chatting away into her handheld phone. She was looking at me when I slowly and firmly said the words, "Put Your Phone Down!" to her through my rolled-up window. She saw me and gave me a completely shocked look. Then, I turned the corner.

At this point, Darling 1 said to me, "I think you need a new job, Mom." I said, "Oh yeah, what kind of job should I have?" to which Darling 1 responded. "I think you should a policeman." And I said, "Why is that?" and he said, "Because you have a big mean voice to tell people what to do."

The Absence of Distracted Driving Laws

I suppose I had sounded like a policeman, saying, "Put Your Phone Down" in a loud, authoritative voice, but it made me laugh. And yet, I am quite good at enforcing laws and rules; and I have always been very authoritative {just ask my brother}. In fact, I'm quite certain I'd do a good job enforcing a no phone use while driving policy.

However, I'm afraid that is one law that will never be passed and enforced. I don't think that we will ever see the day that all cell phones, both handheld and hands free are banned while driving in every state.

We are too connected to our technology; too convinced that we have to multi-task while doing anything and everything. We have persuaded ourselves that we are safe; we are able to focus on the road and the conversation; we are invincible. And lawmakers recognize this fact. It is my personal opinion that lawmakers themselves don't want to be held to such a standard as they race from location to location, meeting to meeting and "need" to use the phone while driving.

{No} Common Sense Safety

For me, this is not about a law. This is about common sense; this is about safety for ourselves, our families and strangers we come in close contact with on roadways. Why should we have to have a law to tell us to do the safe and reasonable thing?

Well, we had to have laws that tell us that we can't exceed certain speeds; we had to have laws that tell us we must wear seatbelts to protect us from injuries if there is an accident; we had to have laws that tell us to securely buckle our babies and young children into car seats and now booster seats; and we had to have laws that tell us that we can't drive while intoxicated. Clearly, we aren't capable of protecting ourselves from danger without laws to regulate our activity.

Interestingly enough, TX Gov. Rick Perry vetoed a bill last summer that would have banned texting in the state of TX. His reason for the veto: a law banning texting while driving would be micromanaging the behavior of adults; something he didn't want to do.

Pardon me if I don't see the difference between banning texting while driving and forcing drivers and passengers to use a seat belt while in the vehicle or limiting the speed of a vehicle or the amount of alcohol in one's bloodstream when it comes to driving. If it's micromanaging, so be it; apparently, that's what we need to be safer drivers.

When it comes to driving a vehicle on public roadways, it's not all about the driver. It's about taking care not to injure, cause harm or damage other people or their property. We must be considerate of the laws, but we must also use common sense in the way we operate our vehicles, weighing a ton or more; for our own sakes and for the sakes of others.

Phone Down Eyes Up Button

For those of you who are as serious as I am about distracted driving and putting your phone down and your eyes up on the road, I do now have a button that you can copy the code to place it on your website or blog too. You will notice it just to the upper right hand side with my slogan for this campaign; Phone Down Eyes Up. Thanks to my friends at Black Elephant Studios for creating it for me. If you click on the button, you will be taken to my Phone Down Eyes Up post.

I encourage you to spread the word about the dangers of distracted drivers. I see it over and over on the road; drivers chatting on the phone and driving too slowly, weaving in and out of lanes, not paying attention to the rate of traffic, not seeing a stop sign or a red light or failing to see the vehicle directly behind them as they back up.

The Scoop

Remember, I hit a kid with my car, and I wasn't distracted at all. Although, years ago, one evening while driving home from work and talking to my mom about a troubling issue, I drove 30 minutes south of my exit. When I finally became aware that I wasn't focused on my driving, I realized I had no idea where I was. I was, in fact, miles from home. I had not seen any exits or even noticed any of the cars around me; I had simply been on autopilots for miles upon miles.

This frightened me. And it should frighten you too. We should all be frightened at our often low levels of focus on the road. My 2012 challenge to you? You guessed it: Phone Down Eyes Up. Prove to me, to yourself and everyone you come in contact with on the roadways {and I hate to say it, but prove Gov. Rick Perry right too} that we don't need laws to wizen up and be safe about how and when we use our cell phones.

Tomorrow I will be addressing new distracted driving laws for 2012. Oh, and don't forget to grab the distracted driving button. Over and out...

Anna

New Beginnings: State Laws Taking Effect January 1, 2012

Happy New Year

January 1^st....the start of a new year, a day a big sales at retail giants, the first day of a new diet for many and the day a number of new state laws take effect. January is definitely the month of new beginnings and that rings true for many laws too.

While I haven't surveyed every state, I did take a look at some of the new state laws from around the country. I have highlighted the new laws {or absence of pertinent new laws} that have just taken effect that concern parents, kids and/or families.

While you may think this is unimportant information, take a look; there may be a few that concern you and your family. With almost 40,000 new laws going into effect on January 1, 2012, there must be something that affects you or someone you know.

A Few New State Laws

Minnesota

No news laws that pertain to families. {Let it be noted that it was quite an argumentative year in MN.}

Texas

College students attending school in Texas to get a meningitis vaccine. This law is applicable to all state universities, community colleges and junior colleges. TX is the first state mandate this. The students must have had this vaccine within the last 5 years.

Texas homeowners will be protected from aggressive homeowner associations that try to foreclose on homes based on late dues, fees and fines.

New York

Hookahs, water pipes, and shisha (a product made of primarily tobacco and smoked) shall not be sold to minors.

A new law will strengthen DEC's authority to ban products that contain mercury.

Middle class tax cuts will reduce tax rates on middle to their lowest levels in more than 50 years About 4.4 million middle class taxpayers will receive a total of  $690 million in personal income tax relief.

California

Open carrying of guns is banned;

Children under 8 and those who are too small to wear regular seat belts must use a child safety seat or booster seat.

Florida

The federal government will no longer have a hand in control the Florida school meal programs This will allow the state of Florida to use more Florida-grown fresh fruit and vegetables on school menus.

Illinois

Hotels are now required to be equipped with at least one smoke detector within 15 feet of every room that is used for sleeping purposes. (HB 1398/ PA-97-0447)

Allows local school boards to, if federal grants are available, opt in to a full-year pilot plan if a school is on academic watch status for more than 2 years. Schools that opt in must increase their school calendar by 35 days, and requires students attend a minimum of 215 days. This pilot program affects only schools in Sen. James Meeks' district.

Requires criminal background information on an employee that has been obtained by a school district within the last year to be shared, upon request, with any other school district.

Changes legislation to reflect the current criminal penalty for making a false report of child abuse to DCFS, and updates the required posted warning to reflect that a false report is a Class 4 felony violation.

Allows people in divorce situations to use life insurance as a security for child support and maintenance obligations.

Requires all employees of licensed child care facilities who care for newborns and infants to complete training every 3 years on sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and on the safe sleep recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Requires adult passengers in the back seat of a vehicle to wear a seat belt, and also requires those 18 and younger riding in a taxi cab for school-related purposes to wear a seat belt.

Colorado

Coaches must not allow players as young as 11 to continue playing a sport if a head injury is suspected. In order to return to play, the athletics will be required to have medical clearance. Furthermore, coaches in public and private schools and even volunteer coaches of Little League and Pop Warner football are required to take a free annual online training to learn the symptoms to recognize a concussion.

Delaware

Same-sex couples can now enter into a civil union or domestic partnerships, which give them the same state rights and obligations of those who are married.

The Scoop

Does your state have any new laws worth checking out? I'll be touching base regarding distracted driving issues in this New Year on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Over and out...

Anna

Occupiers: Go Home {On a Soapbox}

Honestly, when I read the accounts of what's happening at various Occupy {Take your pick of cities} all I see if a bunch of unruly kids acting poorly. Let me stress that I am nowhere near being included in the 1% of the wealthy Americans. I join the protesters in their frustrations of Wall Street and all it has come to represent. We work hard and never seem to get anywhere; gas, groceries, clothes, healthcare and everything else just keep rising in cost, even when income does not.

That being said, I don't think this protest is the way to accomplish anything. I see people trashing public streets, parks and plazas; I see police being called away from other areas of the various cities where police presence is essential to protect people from crime; I see criminal activity, such as drug use and even a drug overdose at the "campsites"; I see rudeness and crudeness to employees who are simply trying to get inside a building to their offices and do their jobs so that they can make a living; I see people injuring police officers who are just following their orders so that they may keep their jobs; I see people who may have started with good intentions looking a lot like the bad guys now.

The destruction of public property and need for extra police detail is only using up precious taxpayer money; money that could have gone to help those who go to bed hungry; those who can't afford heat in the winter; those who have no coats; those who have no shelter; those who are searching for jobs; those who are trying to make ends meet despite working countless hours day in and day out; those who are the furthest from the elite 1%.

When it's all said and done, when we move on and this is but a vague memory, will Occupy Wall Street and its offspring Occupies have accomplished anything positive? I think not.

I'm disappointed in the way these people, who I think mean well, have conducted themselves. While I agree with the idea with which they hatched this plan, I don't condone how they have gone about trying to make a statement. They are beginning to harm those whom they are technically representing; police, those "fighting for the cause", employees who are not part of the 1%, but happen to work in the financial districts and industries, etc.

So, Occupiers, I speak to you. Pick up your water bottles, coffee cups, sleeping bags, tarps, pillows, bullhorns and cardboard signs, repair any damage you have done to publicly owned statues, benches, roads or paths, replace any uprooted or smashed flowers, shrubs or trees, leave things as they were when you arrived and go home. There are other ways. You're creative and inventive; you can think of something more peaceful and less destructive. Over and out...

Anna

 

 

Mississippi Underestimated: Answering the Question of Personhood

Free Choice

I recently saw a quote from a conservative governor stating that he had vetoed a particular bill because he didn't want to micromanage the actions of adults. This quote struck me as odd for a number of reasons. To name one, it's conservatives who typically are trying to take away the choice of abortions for all women. Isn't this also micromanaging adult women's actions?

Let me be clear. I am not a proponent of abortions. I don't know a single soul who is. I am a proponent of free choice. Abortion is not something that I would choose, as far as I know. But then again, I've never been in a position to have to make this decision; so I can't say for certain. I am certain that I cannot make that decision for anyone else though; it's not for me to say what others do with their bodies.

I think that a woman or a man should have the choice of making decisions regarding her or his body without the state interfering with this choice because someone else living in that state may disagree with the choice that person makes. The decision to have an abortion for any reason is one of the most personal choices I can think of.

An Argument for Conservatives

I liken my argument to that of gun rights. I, personally, don't think that people should own guns for personal safety or hunting. I, personally, think that people with guns make our society less safe. However, not everyone agrees with me. There are those who think it's vitally important to have firearms in the home in order to protect the family. There are others who enjoy the sport of hunting.

I will leave them to their sport and their sense of security. I will not tell them they can't own guns, even if they are safe with them and follow all the laws regarding firearm ownership and don't threaten others or commit crimes with their firearms. That is their right.

MS 26

Well, it's also a woman's right to decide what happens to her body. Yesterday, the people of Mississippi went to the polls to vote on a number of items, one of which was Initiative 26. "MS 26" as it was termed may have been on the MS ballot, but it was an issue that could have affected all women across this country. I spent my evening watching my Twitter stream with the hashtag #MS26 {I met some lovely ladies from MS too.} and monitoring MS election results.

If MS 26 had succeeded it could have opened the flood gates rushing toward the eventual overturn of Roe v. Wade. Well, it didn't. The people of Mississippi came through in the name of women's rights.

The exact wording of MS 26 is this:

Should the term 'person' be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the equivalent thereof?

57% of the voters in MS answered this question with a resounding, "NO" despite the time and money spent by Personhood USA in hopes of a "yes" vote.

Personhood USA

Personhood USA is a Colorado based "Christian" nonprofit organization that "serves the pro-life community by assisting local groups to initiate citizen, legislative, and political action focusing on the ultimate goal of the pro-life movement: personhood rights for all innocent humans."

What this means is that a grassroots team showed up in MS and planted the idea of putting this question to the vote of the people in hopes of stirring the pot into a frenzy that could lead other ultra conservative states to do the same. The Personhood Mississippi website says if the vote was yes, a legal challenge would be set up to challenge Roe v. Wade. Of course, the website also says that the most important reason to vote yes is that it will honor God and show love to their neighbors in the law system. Clearly, Personhood USA was appealing to the conservative Christian voters of that state.

Strong Southern Women

Mississippians responded with their own grassroots fight, explaining to would-be voters that MS 26 could have more far reaching effects, such as infertility treatments, access to contraception and women's health, in general. Personhood USA thought it could appeal to the deeply conservative, Christian, low-income and uneducated citizens of MS. They were wrong. Mississippians are smarting than that.

The idea of the personhood question evolved from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's observation during Roe v. Wade oral arguments when he said, "If it were established that an unborn fetus is a person, you would have an impossible case here." Now Personhood USA is trying to do just that. 

The Scoop

There are a number of laws in place that regulate the how, when and where abortions are performed, by whom and upon whom. It's not a spur of the moment, lightly taken, frivolous decision....ever. And the laws in place protect those who for whatever reason have come to a clinic for an abortion. Without these laws, providing this right, abortions would still take place, but behind the scenes, without safeguards, without regulating the who or what or when or where.

In the past I wrote about laws with unintended results. If the voters' answer to MS 26 had been yes, this would have been one of those laws. This issue is not about choosing abortion; this issue is about choosing for one's self. The people of Mississippi have chosen for themselves. Over and out...

Anna

 

Falling Into the Reflecting Pool: Narcissistic Criminals

What Would You Do?

There is a saying that goes something like this, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you couldn't fail?" It is usually meant to inspire people to aspire to great things. Well, I have a slightly different question. What would you do if you knew you would get away with it?

After reading too many articles about greatly accomplished people who have money, status, respect and influence who eventually fall from grace and into criminal court, I have come to ask this question: what makes a person who has wealth, prestige and power commit a crime? Is it the belief that all that he has will redeem him of his crimes? Is it that he truly believes he is immune from criminal charges and above the law? Is it that he thinks no one could possibly believe that he, such a fine person, would commit horrible crimes? Or could it be something else?

Criminals at the Top

Yes, I realize I have used the masculine word "he" in the above paragraph. It's not that I don't think women would or could commit such crimes, they have. But the instances that come to my mind are overwhelmingly men. Just in the last few days, I have read several such articles and when I think back further over the years, the list seems endless; there are athletes, politicians, lobbyists, celebrities, businessmen and socialites.

Yes, I realize that people of all walks of life, regardless of the amount in the bank account, the size of the investment portfolio or the person's background, education, upbringing, religious beliefs, gender, profession or lack thereof commit all kinds of crimes. And there is almost always a question of why regardless of whom it is that commits the crime.

But to me, the most baffling are those who seem to have it all and then lose it all because they chose to break the law; those who are already in the limelight and more closely scrutinized even before allegations of crime emerge; those who are in leadership positions; those who command great respect; those who hold great monetary power.

Greed

My theory is that greed, pure and simple greed, is at the heart of this matter. The more you have, the more you want. The more you have, the easier it is to get what you want. The more you have, the bigger your ego. The more you have, the less you care about others.

The high and mighty do not steal to cover basic needs or provide for their families. They, generally, are not mentally deranged. They are not modern day Robin Hoods. They simply do it because they think they can. They do it because they don't care about how their crimes will affect others around them. They do it because they want to and it will benefit them in some way.

Narcissism

My hypothesis is that these people are narcissistic. Narcissism is quite complex, and just what it entails seems to depend on whom you ask, but basically it's inflated self-importance, lack of concern with what happens to others and a highly developed sense of entitlement. Put these things together and you could have a criminal mastermind.

Oddly enough it's probably these narcissistic traits that helped these people rise to the top of their respective professions. And sadly, it's these traits that will aid them in rebuilding their fame and fortune even after they serve their time and pay their fines and drop from view for a short period of time.

Almost all will return to the public eye and many with a spot on TV or a book or two in which they get to talk about themselves. What a surprise. After all, another characteristic of narcissism is a lack of shame.

The Scoop

The above description of narcissism sounds like a young child: self-centered, selfish, and self-important. The world revolves around the toddler. Fortunately, most kids grow out of this self centric universe and realize that others have feelings and needs and develop a sense of responsibility, service and compassion. Those who don't may grow up to be the president, a corporate giant, a celebrity and perhaps a criminal. Over and out...

Anna

The Million Dollar Question: Pop Culture Clues

What makes an idea or an article novel or appealing? What makes a reader choose to click a link? What makes a message amazing, eye-opening or viral? What makes an online writer stand out from the hundreds and thousands of others just alike floating around, bumping into each other out in cyberspace? That is the million dollar question, isn't it?

I'm working on figuring this out. And when I do have the answer, I'll let you know. I know this much; the answer has just as much to do with what will not put you in reach of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as it does with what you should be doing to earn the gold star.

Here's what I know thus far:

1. There is no instant formula for fame and fortune in writing;
2. The more you write, the more you hear your own, true voice; and
3. The more you understand your readers, the more you know how to temper what readers want to read with what you want to write.

So, with these truisms in mind, I have a few fun questions for you, Dear Reader:

This survey is anonymous, and I would be so incredibly grateful to you if you would take just a few minutes of your time to answer the questions. The questions are completely random and whatever jumped into my head as I typed. While this is true, I do think these questions will give me great insight into how to choose topics and how my readers will perceive certain issues, etc. And I promise you know all the answers to this survey!

Thanks so much in advance for helping me get closer to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so to speak. Over and out...

Anna

Imagine...A World with NO Politics {On a Soapbox}

Imagine for one moment there is no politics. There are simply elected officials who come together and do what is truly in the best interest of the people of this country.

No, I'm not going to discuss political views. I know better than that. And I think that most people are fed up with our politicians at this point in the game. I am.

These elected officials wage war against each other and opposing ideologues day in and day out. I seriously doubt that a single one truly cares one iota about the people he or she represents. The political process has turned into a game of power, deception and money; or maybe it's always been this way and simply becomes more transparent with each passing year.

The bureaucracy has absolutely no idea what life looks like in the trenches of middle-class to poor America. Sometimes it's hard to draw the line between middle-class and poor now that 46.2 million, or 15.1 percent, of Americans live below the poverty line with little hope of better jobs or any job at all after getting laid off, losing savings due to the market, etc.

Forget whose fault it is that X hasn't been done or has been done or that Y should be passed or not passed, depending on your own view, then imagine....there is no politics. Imagine there is only a common goal of helping others and working together for the common good.

I live in a state that shut down for several weeks in July that ultimately came down to a single issue involving taxing the richest people in our state. Our federal government continues to avert the most pressing issues while avoiding complete shutdown for the time being. How long must this go on?

As long as personal agendas and hunger for power and money continue to rule our elected officials, the common goals and needs of our people will not be met. Can you imagine what our country would be like if we all worked together as a unified team.

Complete fantasy? Of course, but on this Friday isn't it nice to try to imagine a government that actually works; instead of one in total discord. And that's my two cents. Over and out...

Anna

 

Coffee with Anna Vlog Edition #3: Python Kills Toddler; Teacher Fired for Pumping Breast Milk, Failure to Report Child Missing a Felony & a Giveaway

  

Good Morning! On the agenda today:

• In the vlog I discuss several articles and I've got links for you in case you want to read more:
  • Python Kills Toddler; Mother Convicted of Manslaughter
  • Teacher Fired for Pumping Breast Milk
  • Proposed Legislation for Felony Charge for Failing to Report Child Missing
• If you haven't read this week's posts on bouncy house safety and liability, go read them. It's important! It could save your child's life and your savings account; or both.
• By the way, I'm giving something away tomorrow at 10 a.m. Listen to the whole vlog to find out what it is and how to enter. 
• It's much easier to write than to vlog. So, I'm going to do 1 more and then evaluate whether to continue with this format. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend! Over and out...

Anna