A face to go with the name!

Well, y'all have been reading my blog for almost a semester and I have not put a pix up to go with my name. I just haven't had one. I am camera shy. I find that the camera tells a truth that I used to not like, so I wouldn't let anyone take my pix. That has changed in the last couple of months. I like who I am, and the reality that the camera shows is just that, a reality. People either are repelled by it or like me despite it. Those that are turned away by my truth have very seriously lost out, 'cause I rock!! *grin*

This pix that I am putting up is of my family. Of course I am in there, but so is my 19 year old daughter Devon, my 17 year old son John, and my 13 year old daughter, Bailey. They are my beautiful, talented, enchanting, gifts from God. They are my greatest joy and my biggest frustrations!

This pix was taken in Carthage, MO in a prayer garden. It was one of the most peaceful places I have ever been! I could have stayed there all day with a sketch book, camera and the kids. There are so many more pix from our session, but this composite was put together quickly to try to advertise a weekend special for my photographer (photo818.com). There are lots to go through, and I had some head shots taken of me, so I promise to put one of them up for my profile.

God bless you and yours

Deb Seely

When a soldier dies in war, they are afforded certain privileges . A military funeral, a flag draped coffin, and a condolence letter from the President of the United States. But not so if that soldier died by his or her own hand. During the Clinton presidency, policies were changed to exclude death by suicide, according to this article at cnn.com

Gregg Keesling found that out the hard and tragic way. His son, Spc, Chancellor Keesling committed suicide June 19, 2009 while deployed in Iraq. The family picked up the flag draped coffin, and attended the funeral complete with military honors. They even created a memorial wall in their home. They display their son's dress uniform, the flag from his coffin and the Indiana flag that was flown in Washington to honor his death. They left a space in that grouping for the expected condolence letter from the president. But one never came. Finally, after several inquires the family was informed that condolence letters are not written to the families of soldiers that commit suicide.

Gregg Keesling is very careful now how he explains his son's death. He explains it as "dying of suicide". He is also very involved in changing this policy that keeps him from the honor her feels he is due. The Keeslings have written a letter to President Obama, and they have enlisted the help of their local congressmen as well. Keesling feels that his family made the ultimate sacrifice for the good of their country, and the least the president can do for them is to want to send his condolences.



I agree. My late husband was ex military. When he died I received a condolence letter. He was not in combat and had not been in the service for over thirty years. I don't understand what possible good it would do for the president to NOT write letters. The main reason these kids are getting depressed is because they are in battle situations. So basically if they weren't on the battlefield they wouldn't be as depressed and as likely to commit suicide.

Another issue here is the fact that this young soldier was deployed the second time as a reservist. And as such his records (ones that listed his depression and at least one suicide watch) were not sent to his reserve unit. He was reluctant to reveal that he was depressed and had considered suicide. I would think that some better communication between the services would be of help here too. The article states that Spc Keesling was treated at the VA as well. I know from a friend that is a veteran of Iraqi Freedom that the VA is not what a lot of people think it is or what the soldiers need. I liked how the father in this article put it. He said that his son had been injured, but we couldn't see it. It was on the inside

Breast Cancer recomendations cause debate

For years women have been told that they needed to perform self breast examinations and that they needed to have their first mammogram at the age of 40. But not anymore. The latest recommendations of the U.S. Preventative Task Force are that women in the age group of 40 to 49 do not need regular mammograms, nor do they need to worry about routine self evaluations any longer.

In several recent articles at cnn.com the controversial recommendations are cited and debated. Some of the leading breast cancer groups agree with the decision, and some do not. The Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer group recommends that women "be aware" of any changes in their breasts, but do not recommend that women be taught self breast exams. The American Cancer Society agrees. Both groups claim that they disagree with the new mammogram guidelines. They will continue to recommend that women in their forties have regular mammograms.
The greatest concern of the task force is that younger women (who are generally at a lower risk for breast cancer) will encounter more stress because of lumps that are found but are not a cancer threat. They cite health studies performed in Canada that found that there was no significant decrease in breast cancer deaths in women that performed self examinations versus women who did not.

One may wonder just who this task force is, and why it is so significant that they have made these recommendations. The United States Preventative Services Task force is a group of 16 "health care professionals" that base recommendations concerning preventative health procedures upon scientific studies. (It should be noted for the cynics out there that NONE of the doctors on the board are oncologists and that two of the members are affiliated with non-profit health insurance companies.) This task force, started in 1984 is currently considered to be the "leading independent panel of private-sector experts in prevention and primary care," according to their website. Their recommendations are closely watched and taken to be the standard by The American Health Insurance Plans, a company of over 1,300 health insurance providers. However, Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, said that while their recommendations are taken under advisement they do not set the policies for the United States.


When I started writing this blog article I was just trying to find something that interested me. As I have stated before, I am a cancer survivor so anything that deals with cancer peaks my interest, but as I started reading I got madder and madder! Then I started looking around at Google and found so much coverage of this story with so many other networks and groups. This really has people sitting up and taking notice. As well it should.
So, here is my take on this issue. The boiled down version, I hope. It seems to me that this just smacks of hypocrisy. According to one article I found on a cancer support site, written in 2002, the Task Force has been trying for years to change how we approach screening for breast cancer. For the last nine years… sounds like someone has an agenda. I fear that if too many people listen to these "findings" that the average woman will not have a yearly mammogram covered on their insurance policies. That could prove disastrous.
The only reasons I could find cited to change our current way of screening was some ambiguous reference to the "risks" of mammograms and the possibility of causing unneeded stress to younger women if they should happen to find a lump during self examinations. Seriously? Is that the best they can come up with after all this time? There was a source cited that found that younger women that performed routine self examinations of their breasts found a higher incidence of benign lumps. Is that what is being considered the extra stress? I would rather have a false alarm than to ignore a lump and find out years later that my stage three cancer could have been prevented if I had found it earlier. And to not teach young women to examine their own breasts but to tell them to "be aware of any changes" is asinine, in my opinion. How are young women going to know if there are changes if they don't know what their normal feels or looks like? When my oldest daughter turned 18 I took her to my women's health nurse practitioner Tina. Tina taught her how to perform a self exam and what was normal as well as what was not. Now she can tell us if something changes. I find it just disturbing that just as we (women) are getting some life saving procedures paid for as routine in our yearly visits to our health care providers, some group with an agenda comes along and now we will probably have to fight hard to keep them. It will prove interesting to keep an eye on this issue to see where it goes, and how it will affect us in the future. Let's hope we keep moving in a positive direction.

Facebook saves the day...kind of.

Who would have ever thought that logging on to Facebook would prove to be anything other than a simple way to pass the time? According to CNN, A Facebook update became an alibi that lead to one teen's release from Riker's prison in New York. Rodney Bradford turned himself in to authorities after hearing that he was wanted in connection to a robbery at gunpoint in Brooklyn. He thought that by turning himself in it would all get cleared up quickly, but instead the opposite happened. He was put into a line up and was identified as the perpetrator. From there he was charged with robbery in the first degree and sent to Riker's Island, where the New York City Jail is located.

Bradford's father later noticed that his son had posted on Facebook at the same time he was alleged to have robbed the two men and brought this information to the attention of his son's attorney. Later, after some help from Facebook the defense team was able to prove that Rodney was at his father's home in Harlem when he made the status update and thus, cleared the young man of all charges. And now that he is free, Mr. Bradford plans to sue the city.



Well, at first I thought that this was a great story, kind of like a TV show only real. Then I got to reading a bit closer. The fact that Rodney Bradford is awaiting indictment from a robbery in 2008, Kind of made me wonder just exactly why the family is suing the city. Their reason was quoted as being that the city had "no reason" to arrest the young man, and that the 12 to 13 days he was in jail was enough trauma to cause the family to seek "money damages".

I also found it interesting that Facebook is so quick to infer that their site would be joining the ranks of "phone records and video cameras as means to establish an alibi", when it would be so easy to misuse this knowledge. I have kids at home that taught me how to Facebook and I know that if I decided to become a career criminal (something I admit to having fantasized about as one of my "running away" day dreams) I am sure that I could get one of them to log in for me... actually they probably already do know my log in information. I think I should go change that now. This could be used against me too!

Talk about a "Faith" lift!

One of the world's oldest religions attracts a new, crowd and gets a "hipper" feel. In an article by CNN, author Jessica Ravitz explores what she dubs "New Jews" in all their glory. Like so many things in this world what was normal for one generation has become boring for another. Steven Cohen, a sociologist at Hebrew Union College in New York, says that about half of the young Jews marry fellow Jews and that of children born to inter faith couples, only 25 percent consider themselves Jewish when they grow up. That does not bode well for future growth.

Like the generations of the past, the young people make the changes. But in the case of "New Jews" they are returning to the faith of their past, but on their own terms. Everything from punk rock Jews to hippie Jews to the groups that propel these movements forward can be found. Interestingly enough It seems to be the religion's leaders, the Rabbis and the religious educators that are in the forefront, trying to make Judaism more "user friendly".

Take, for instance, Punk Torah, the web site created by Patrick Aleph (the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet). It is a self proclaimed place for anyone "who feels disconnected from the Jewish world of summer camps, Holocaust guilt trips, and overpriced High Holiday tickets." Aleph feels that the synagogue should be like a "Jewish night club" someplace where you can go to let your hair down and relax. To dance or sing, but mostly to connect. They also think that traditional synagogues have lost sight of that need and that websites like Punk Torah and its sister site Indie Yeshiva are now satisfying that need.

Not only are sites like Punk Torah and Indie Yeshiva cropping up, but there are other organizations out there to support alternative Judaism. Groups like Mechon Hadar. Self titled as an institute for "prayer, personal growth and Jewish study". They hold meetings and study groups in their own area as well as website link and support other groups. There is also Jewish Jumpstart, another group that supports thinking outside of the traditional box that Judaism seemed to be stuck in.

Another way that "New Jews" are accommodating the back-to-the-land-wilderness-retreat-seeking, modern global citizen of today is with groups like the Limmud (Hebrew for learning) and Wilderness Torah. The Limmud host volunteer staffed wilderness retreats in Colorado, Illinois, Georgia and around the world where one can go to further their spiritual journey. Wilderness Torah's byline is "Connect to the Earth through Judaism... Connect to Judaism through the Earth." They do this by hosting some of the major Jewish holidays, which are land based, out in the wild. For instance, they celebrate Passover in a desert, Sukkot on an organic farm, and Shavuot on a mountainside.

As with most religions, there are Jewish newspaper and magazine publications. But the advent of edgier journalism and websites such as The Forward, the Heeb Magazine, and the Zeek, are reaching out to a newer group of readers. Recently the Heeb published a picture of Rosanne Barr standing at an oven, dressed like Hitler and holding a tray of burned-Jew cookies. The reason for the image? To spark controversy. Anything to get people passionate about their faith.

There are podcasts teaching Judaism (G_dcast), Jewish record labels that handle edgy groups even a political movement to get Barak Obama elected was started. (The Great Schlep, started by Sarah Silverman) One of the most visible ways we are seeing changes is in the newest rage of Hebrew/Jewish tattoos. One site, Tattoo Jew, has been created to track the progress of a documentary recording the intersection between traditional Jewish culture and the current popularity of tattoos. If there is a way to be new, different and exciting in relation to Jewish faith, it is probably out there.





Wow, I was rather impressed and a bit surprised when I started to research a bit farther for this blog post. Although, now I am not sure why it surprised me so much. I am a Christian and there are just as many "alternative" events within my culture. I think it must be because when one thinks of the Jewish faith, especially one stuck in a small town like Joplin, MO, it is rather easy to play into the stereotype of "Tradition". I am so glad that there are blogs, and websites and retreats out there to help people to return to their heritage... or discover something new.

I found the tattoos the most refreshing part of this article, it is a permanent way for someone to announce to the world about their faith, and beliefs. It sure is a nice change from some of the ugly things people can ink their skin with. In reading this article I ran across a lot of terms that were outside the realm of my learning. I found a wonderful glossary of terms that helped me understand some of what I was reading. Best of all, some of these sites (Wilderness Torah for one) have Face Book groups so I can continue to learn more about them.

Cloth or plasic?

Taking your own grocery bag to the store with you to shop is a traditional practice that in the recent past has come back into favor. Target and CVS are now joining the companies that reward their clients monetarily for not using plastic sacks. In an article from CNBC it is noted that smaller companies have been rewarding their customers for a while now when they bring in their own shopping bags, but having large companies doing the same thing has brought about new technology. While Target is relying on giving each customer a nickel off of their bill for each bag that they bring in themselves, CVS has a tag that can be bought for a dollar and attached to the reusable bag. Each time a shopper goes into CVS, they swipe their tag and for each fourth visit they receive a $1 Extra Care Buck that will be printed on their receipt and used at their next visit.
Encouraging shoppers with monetary incentives to practice the three "R's" (reduce, reuse, and recycle) is not a new thing, smaller companies such as Whole Foods Inc. and Shop & Shop have been rewarding their customers for over a year. Whole Foods Inc. was quoted as saying that their banning plastic bags from their stores have saved over 150 million plastic bags from the landfills, and the use of reusable bags from home has tripled. Whether the choice of reusable bags over new plastic ones stems from living in a town where they are outlawed (yes, there are several) or the chance to save a nickel here and a dime there, reducing plastic waste is a good thing for all of us. And the positive P.R. certainly doesn't hurt the retailers either.



Well, I have been using my own bags for a while now (when I can remember them, that is) I do it just because of my "tree-hugging" tendencies. I like using my own bags, and boxes. I am an admitted tightwad, and really like the cheap cloth bags that I can use over and over again, for things beyond groceries and quick runs to Wal-Mart. I use them for carrying books to the library and for laundry, and... well you get the idea. I do take a bit of offense that it seems to me that being "green" is the latest bandwagon. I honestly doubt that the people that run the great big companies such as Target really worry about the impact their store and the products it sells has on our world. But, if making themselves more "green" means more sales, then it is a win-win situation for everyone.
I am also very uncomfortable with the tag on the bag gimmick from CVS. The way the article read to me, was that these tags would be just one more way for CVS to keep track of when you come into their store. I also noticed that they want you to pay cash up front for the tag, but they will only give you a coupon to use on your next purchase. Call me cynical, but I wonder just how many people never use their coupon. Not only does the article have a "spin" towards trying to make me feel like these companies are trying to do right by the world, but the marketing of the companies are too. In the words of my thirteen year old daughter, "Whatever!".

Poo jokes garner attention to a deadly condition

"How do you solve a problem like diarrhea?" (Think Sound of Music here) is the question being asked at a controversial awards ceremony where they will be handing out the "Golden Poo" awards. Yes, there will be trophies shaped like little golden turds, as well as comedy and short films with clever plays on words like the opening question. Now, one might wonder just why the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine would be the sponsors of such an irreverent evening. It is to bring to the public's attention the devastating damage that diarrhea can have in the "third world" countries that have poor hygiene practices and rampant starvation. We might laugh at the jokes, but the one million children that die each year from diarrheal diseases, can't even cry about the enormity of this situation because their bodies are too dehydrated to shed a tear.

It would seem that just trying to educate the public about the toll that diarrhea has on developing countries is not enough. But once someone does something controversial, then the attention can be pointed in the direction it needs to be. Those of us in large, developed countries just don't have any idea just how devastating this symptom can be. For us it is just an inconvenience, but for a million children a year, it is deadly serious.



I admit that it took a bit for me to get the joke at the start of this article. And I also admit that to me, diarrhea has been just an inconvenience. I am blessed to have Pedialyte and Gatorade and Imodium AD, and clean drinking water and even a toilet. Now I have a better idea just how blessed I am. I had no idea that a million children die each year from something so preventable. Clean drinking water, hand washing, good hygiene and some kind of an electrolyte solution could drastically change the death toll numbers. I applaud the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for taking the risk that they have in doing this award show. By being as edgy as they are, they are bringing the attention to the problem. And Education follows attention. Just look what happened when I noticed the "poo joke" that got me to read this article.