Gasp!

Unemployed? Free book on getting health care

My review of "The Healthcare Survival Guide: Cost-Saving Options for the Suddenly Unemployed and Anyone Else Who Wants to Save Money," by Martin B. Rosen and Abbie Leibowitz, M.D. was published in The Birmingham News.

An excerpt:

"If you have recently lost your job, navigating through our health care system can be daunting. Many people choose to forgo health insurance, believing that their choices are too few or too expensive.
 
  But there may be more options than you think. Authors Martin B. Rosen and Dr. Abbie Leibowitz describe health care alternatives for the unemployed in 'The Healthcare Survival Guide.'"

The authors are offering a free download of the book on their site. But hurry, it is only for a limited time.

Book Review: What Do I Eat Now?: A Step-by-Step Guide to Eating Right with Type 2 Diabetes by Patti B. Geil and Tami A. Ross

My review of "What Do I Eat Now?: A Step-by-Step Guide to Eating Right with Type 2 Diabetes," by Patti B. Geil and Tami A. Ross appeared in Thursday's edition of The Birmingham News.

An excerpt:

"In "What Do I Eat Now?" Patti B. Geil and Tami A. Ross teach type 2 diabetics how to enjoy food while controlling their blood glucose level.

  The book features a four-week plan that aims to educate newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics. The authors explain how insulin resistance and obesity play a role in type 2 diabetes, and they assure readers that lifestyle changes can slow the progressive nature of the disease."

Read the rest of the review.

Book Review: Book Review: Bake Deliciously! Gluten & Dairy Free Cookbook, by Jean Duane

My review of Jean Duane's book, Bake Deliciously! Gluten & Dairy Free Cookbook was published today in The Birmingham News.

An excerpt: "Using her baking background, Duane created and modified recipes to suit her needs. The result is a book filled with easy-to-follow recipes for cakes, muffins, breads and pies.
 
  It might be difficult to imagine gingerbread muffins, blondies or peanut butter cookies without soy, cholesterol, artificial sweeteners,  refined sugar or egg yolks. However, it is possible."

Bottom line: If you have food allergies, check out this cookbook. 

Book Review: The Power of 4 by Paula Owens

My review of "The Power of 4" by Paula Owens appeared in today's edition of The Birmingham News.

An excerpt:
"Reading Paula Owens' book, "The Power of 4," is like having a holistic nutritionist as a best friend. Once you get hold of this book, you'll want to keep it around for a long time."

In short, I loved this book and I think you will too.

Read the whole review.

DVD Review: 'Denise Austin's Best Bun And Leg Shapers'

My review of Denise Austin's Best Bun and Leg Shapers appeared in yesterday's edition of the Birmingham News.

An excerpt: "If you are plagued with a pear-shaped body, then toning your hips, thighs and legs can seem like a daunting task. Fitness expert Denise Austin’s latest DVD, “Denise Austin’s Best Bun and Leg Shapers,” features seven workouts that will help firm up your lower half."

Read the whole thing.

Jefferson County's Financial Problems, or Why I've Had a Hard Time Caring About Arts Funding Lately

It looks like the national media is finally paying attention to Jefferson County's financial problems. For non-Alabamians, a good explanation of the area's woes can be found in today's New York Times. 

"In every part of Jefferson County — Alabama’s most populous county and its main economic engine — government managers have been scrambling to prepare for Saturday, when two-thirds of county employees eligible for layoffs — up to 1,400 — will be lost in an effort to stave off financial ruin.

“Outside of the city of Detroit,” said Robert A. Kurrter, a managing director with Moody’s Investors Service, “it’s fair to say we haven’t seen any place in America with the severity of problems that they’re experiencing in Jefferson County.”"

Read the rest here.

Book Review: Once a Marine by Nick Popaditch with Mike Steere

My review of "Once A Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander's Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage and Recovery"  by Nick Popaditch with Mike Steere was published in today's edition of The Birmingham News.

This was one of those books that made me wish I had more column space. In all, readers get a clear view of Marines - the training, the values, the reasons why someone would join. He makes it *understandable*, even to those people who have no family members in the service.

Anyway, Popaditch was wounded in Fallujah. He writes:

"'After the ssst, the whole world goes blinding white like I'm inside a camera flash," Popaditch writes. "Then comes total darkness and a horrible electric-sounding hum in my ears. ... The RPG -- a four-pound missile going 300 miles an hour, more or less -- hit and blew up on my helmet.'"

Read my review here.

Book Review: The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson by Rob Simone

The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson
by Rob Simone
Lulu, 39 pages, 2009. $10.88 paperback, $5 ebook

It's very possible that Rob Simone's book, "The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson" is the first publication on the pop star's death. Rather than being a retrospective of  his life, Simone has written a 39-page tome on why he thinks Jackson died.

Under most circumstances, such observations or thoughts would be irrelevant. After all, the coroner has yet to speak. The toxicology reports haven't come back. 

Rob Simone is a Los Angeles talk show host. He discuss all subjects on his show, including the unexplained. Leonard Nimoy, Janeane Garofalo, Charlie Sheen, and former CNN anchor Cheryll Jones have appeared on his program. Simone has connections in Hollywood, and he's outside the mainstream media. Not a bad thing these days.

Simone alleges that Jackson had a condition called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorder which can show up in young adulthood. It can cause early-onset emphysema. If it becomes severe, it may require a lung transplant.

Though he says his source is a doctor who treated Jackson, Simone is not the first person who made this claim. Ian Halperin made similar statements in an interview with In-Touch magazine. The Jackson camp denied that Michael had a health condition.

After further describing the disorder, Simone pieces evidence together media reports of Jackson's doctor visits. He believes that Jackson wore a surgical mask in public because he had this genetic disorder.

Simone believes that this deficiency, along with an addiction to prescription painkillers, is what caused Jackson's demise.

Considering the fast turn-around time of this book, anybody would have low expectations. Perhaps Simone is just trying to make a quick buck off a dead man. But there are two things that Simone does well: He doesn't disrespect Jackson and he shatters the veil of silence. For too long, people around Jackson were silent. If he was addicted to painkillers, then that silence only enabled him to continue.

The people around Jackson were doing him a disservice. Many times, family and friends of addicts would prefer the addiction to continue. Stoned and drunk people are far easier to manipulate and control. Like many other cash-cows and idols, Jackson had far too many leeches glued to him.

I strongly suspect that Simone has had pieces of this booklet in his back pocket for a while.It feels more like a radio show than a book. That's not a bad thing. After all, the guy is a radio show host. And this booklet might help satisfy grieving fans who are beginning to crave answers. If Simone is right about the genetic disorder, it will cast a whole new light on the life of Michael Jackson.

For more info on Rob Simone's show

"The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson" by Rob Simone, available in print and ebook editions on Lulu. 

Farrah Fawcett's Early Life

It's hard to believe Farrah Fawcett is gone. Stranger still, to look through newspaper archives and see her life before she went out to Hollywood. If you are lucky enough to access the Corpus Christi newspapers, you occasionally glimpse old pictures of Farrah.

• October 28, 1959: The cheerleaders of St. Patrick's School Shamrocks, in green and white costumes, will lead the yells at 2:30 p.m. Saturday when their team meets the 'eleven' from Our Lady of Sorrows. Farrah is the one on the far left.
  
• February 14, 1965: Farrah is voted the most beautiful girl at Ray High School annual favorites dance.
  
• April 1, 1965: "Four W. B. Ray seniors will be honored at a punch party from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at 352 Palmetto. Hostesses will be Mrs. Louis J. Wehmeyer and Mrs. Edward P. Thomas." Farrah was listed as a member of the house party.
  
• May 17, 1965: Farrah is listed on the permanent honor roll at Ray High School.
  
• April 2, 1967 in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times: "Miss Farrah Fawcett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Fawcett, the Cliff House, left Saturday for Acapulco. She will spend her ten-day spring vacation from the UofT with classmates in Mexico. She has been named Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps sweetheart at the UofT. Mrs. Fawcett will join the group in Acapulco Monday."

• July 3, 1970: An ad for the film Myra Breckinridge, playing at National Twin I in Corpus Christi lists Farrah as one of the stars, along with Rex Reed, May (sic) West and Raquel Welch.

• August 30, 1970: "The Houston Astros seek a new "Miss Astro" to represent the ball club today in final ceremonies at home plate at 1:30 p.m." Farrah and Kristina Allen, each a former Miss Astro, received movie contracts. Clearly this position is a stepping stone.

• January 23, 1973: From Dorothy Manners: "I was on their first date together so it is of particular interest to me that Lee Majors and Texas beauty Farrah Fawcett, after five years of togetherness, will be married on June 28th. Both are doing very happily in their careers as well as in private life. Farrah recently appeared in "The Great American Beauty Contest" (20th-Centurty Fox) and Lee is finishing a pilot, "Cyborg," about an astronaut.

• March 15, 1974: On an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man, airing at 8 p.m. in Corpus Christi: "Seems Steve (Lee Majors) is assisting the first female to go into space as an astronaut. She is played by Farrah Fawcett Majors, Lee's wife. There is a problem in space, so they must rendezvous at Skylab. Turns out Steve is no longer .invincible up there. Some good effects,  realistic dialogue and science editor Jules Bergman as himself to add authenticity."

We tend to remember life in moments rather than spans of time. When I think of my life in San Francisco, I think of walking down Market Street in the late afternoon, dodging pigeons and homeless people. I remember the crisp air and  slanted sunlight on brick buildings. It's spooky to think that when I die, I might feel all that again, for one more fleeting moment.

Farrah's death is a reminder of a lost world. Maybe it's hit me harder because of my Dad's recent death. I've spent a lot of time lately, considering death. What  happens when we die? The more I think about it, the less I'm inclined to think of time as a rigid construct. I'm also thinking that the live people are less alive than the dead.

On Collecting Rock and Psychedelic Music Posters

I've never thought of collecting psychedelic rock posters. It sounds cool, though. Like pulp fiction cover artists, I wonder if these creators knew that their work would be featured in museums like the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Glen Trosch from Psychedelic Art Exchange explains why some people are just now getting involved with collecting posters: "Most of the new players are educated professionals that are highly successful in their chosen field. They are sick and tired of seeing their net worth wildly swing up and down on a weekly basis. They are very excited to discover affordable high-end art that is ultra rare and historically important."

Read the rest of the interview on his site.