Archive for April, 2007
Mechanic Wayne Baskett describes himself as a “miracle man” because he survived a motorcycle crash three years ago on Old Fort Parkway.
Baskett feels blessed — but distressed from $100,000 in debt for lost wages because the Hispanic driver who struck him didn’t have insurance.
“I’m a complete victim of a law I was compliant with,” Baskett said. “The guy (driver) didn’t have insurance. He had a valid driver’s license and an expired green card.”
Baskett suffered critical injuries, including the loss of his left eye.
Murfreesboro Police Sgt. Sam Campbell, commander of the Fatal Accident Crash Team, said two Murfreesboro residents died at the hands of hit-and-run illegal Hispanic immigrants during the past eight years. One illegal Hispanic driver died and another legal Hispanic driver’s passenger died in 2005 in crashes on South Church Street.
The driver who struck Baskett was in the U.S. illegally too, Campbell said.
When Baskett talked to the driver six months after the 2004 crash, the driver asked through a translator if he was mad.
“No, I am not mad,” said Baskett who lost his left eye in the crash. “I’m mad because you didn’t have insurance. I’m mad because the state doesn’t make you have insurance.”
The Insurance Research Council reported in 2004 that 21 percent of 4.5 million Tennessee drivers didn’t have insurance. The figures were not broken down by national origin.
Since the crash, Baskett lobbied state legislators to pass bills requiring drivers to show proof of insurance when they get their license plates.
“I have learned to raise up your uninsured motorist policy to $100,000 to cover yourself because it looks like the politicians aren’t going to do anything against the insurance laws,” Baskett said.
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Baskett, then 36, remembers getting a hair cut before getting on his motorcycle July 17, 2004 on Old Fort Parkway toward Franklin. When he reached Gresham Lane, the Hispanic driver failed to yield at a traffic light and struck Baskett. His speedometer stuck at 25 mph.
He doesn’t remember the crash or the next three weeks until he awoke at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Every bone in his face broke. He suffered a broken pelvic bone, right rib and both arms, a dislocated left hip and a severed bladder. Every bone in his face was shattered and had to be replaced.
He remained hospitalized 10 more days before spending six weeks in rehabilitation. Baskett, who worked at an auto dealership, received his salary and insurance for seven months but later lost his job because he couldn’t work for one year while recovering.
He applied for food stamps, TennCare and disability just to help out but was denied any assistance. He tried to hire an attorney to recoup his losses from the uninsured driver but no one would take his case because the driver didn’t have insurance.
His wife took their $25,000 uninsured motorist payment and paid the mortgage for one year.
The crash victim made a full recovery except for the loss of his left eye. He wears glasses to protect the artificial eye. Because of the disability, the 20-year certified mechanic can’t land a job. He was forced to open his own business, Preventative Maintenance, at his Kimbro Road home where he specializes in working on Asian-made vehicles.
“There is nothing I cannot do,” Baskett said. “Yes, I am blessed.”
April 30th, 2007
NORRISTOWN — A West Pottsgrove man will serve time for mistreating his pit bull terrier by neglecting to treat the animal’s leg wound and allowing it to become malnourished.
Matthew Young, 23, of the 900 block of West High Street, was sentenced Wednesday in Montgomery County Court to 30 days to 12 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals in connection with the Oct. 24, 2006, incident.
Judge Steven T. O’Neill also ordered Young to complete 36 hours of community service, preferably with the Montgomery County SPCA or another animal protection agency.
Young, who must report to jail May 7 to begin serving the sentence, is prohibited from owning any animals for one year under the judge’s order. Young, who is eligible for the jail’s work-release program, must forfeit any animals he currently owns to the SPCA immediately, the judge said.
County prosecutors previously denied Young’s request to be accepted into the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, a special probationary program for first-time offenders who commit nonviolent crimes. Those who successfully complete the program can clear their records.
Prosecutors denied Young’s request on April 16, according to court records. With Wednesday’s guilty plea, Young will have a criminal record for the rest of his life.
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Court documents filed by West Pottsgrove police indicate authorities responded to Young’s residence to investigate a report of animal cruelty at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 24. Police and an animal control officer found what appeared to be a sick or injured dog lying on the ground at the door to Young’s residence, a criminal complaint said.
“I observed the dog to be very malnourished and bleeding from what appeared to be puncture wounds,” West Pottsgrove Detective Steven Ziegler wrote in the criminal complaint. “The dog appeared to have mange (hair loss) and I observed old scars on the dog’s face.”
The dog, whose name was “Brownie,” was transported to the Sanatoga Animal Hospital for treatment. A veterinarian concluded the dog suffered from loss of muscle mass, emaciation, severe flea and tick infestation, scars on the face, several broken ribs on the right side of the abdomen and deep puncture wounds with blood draining on legs, according to the criminal complaint.
The veterinarian, who listed the dog’s condition as critical, concluded the incident “was definitely a case of animal cruelty,” police wrote.
When he was questioned by police, Young admitted the dog belonged to him.
“The defendant stated that he would rather give the dog away than pay Sanatoga Animal Hospital for treatment,” Ziegler said.
April 26th, 2007
PHOENIX – The Lakers just lost to the Suns despite having more rebounds and a higher field-goal percentage, despite the NBA’s most accurate long-range shooters missing 17 of 23 three-point attempts.
The Lakers now have lost four consecutive postseason games and seven of eight overall to Phoenix. It has been nearly three years since the franchise won a playoff series.
Good Lord, we need something positive. Now. So we turn to Ronny Turiaf, the bounding hairball of energy, this team’s fuzzy story, the high-beam smile who must not only see the glass as half full but also as half full of Dom Perignon.
“I’m the most pessimistic person you’ll probably ever meet,” Turiaf says. “I always think something bad is going to happen. I feel like all my relationships will fail. I get scared a lot. I’m sorry, I just expect the worst.”
Ah, OK.
Turiaf is serious. Here is he, one of the fortunate few to play in the NBA and the only one who survived a six-hour operation less than two years ago on his heart, of all things.
His affirming appearance is reinforced when Kobe Bryant, just before taking the floor for each opening tip, dramatically hugs Turiaf near the scorer’s table.
Turiaf doesn’t have an on-court demeanor as much as he has an on-court misdemeanor or, more often, an on-bench misdemeanor. The pumping fists. The gyrating. The hooting and giggling. All of it is endearing and genuine and comes from Turiaf’s passion, which runs deep enough to have its own surf.
But also genuine is the dark streak that winds through his everyday thoughts, convincing him that something terrible has happened to a traveling relative or that he’s going to lose his job or that he’s going to disappoint the Lakers.
Moments before Turiaf was rolled into the operating room in July 2005 for his heart surgery, he suffered a panic attack, shouting: “I’m not going to survive! I’m going to die!” Doctors finally calmed him by administering anesthesia.
Faith motivates many. Fear can motivate, as well. No one ever has doubted Turiaf’s work ethic. His desire to not let down those who have invested in him might explain how a man so given to negative thought could ascend to his sport’s highest level.
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In the NBA, the slightest doubt can be exposed and exploited, much like Leandro Barbosa did to any Laker who attempted to guard him Sunday. Turiaf has turned his weakness inside out, making it into a strength.
“He is a bit of a weirdo,” says Phoenix’s Boris Diaw, who grew up with Turiaf in France and, according to Turiaf, is his best friend. “When we took the equivalent of the SAT in high school, he was sure he’d fail. He was certain he wouldn’t get drafted (into the NBA). He figured he wouldn’t make the Lakers. That might be why he’s so enthusiastic on the outside. He has to be balanced somehow.”
Balanced isn’t a term often associated with Turiaf. Kind of like buzz cut. In case you have the perceptive abilities of shrubbery, Turiaf recently stopped braiding his hair in favor of a flowing ‘fro look. Sort of curls gone wild.
He explains that his “hair needed to breathe” and that his “head needed it, too.” So, for the time being, he has benched his beautician, a woman he says is named Quick Nick.
This type of thinking might cause some people to ask if Turiaf is, indeed, balanced. His behavior might cause some to ask if he is, indeed, sane.
He routinely springs from the bench to celebrate big shots. He waves a towel like a lasso to acknowledge great passes. When Turiaf’s joy is uncorked — Isn’t that the verb to use when talking about something bubbly from France? — it frequently results in his teammates yelling at him to sit down because they can’t see the game anymore.
During a first half a few weeks ago, forward Brian Cook challenged Turiaf to sit still for as long as he could. He lasted two minutes. Barely.
“I can’t help it,” Turiaf says. “I must be nuts. I must have ADD or something. But that’s just me. I should probably go see a shrink. I’m sure they’d like to send me away and test me. I have a lot of passion, and I’m a happy person. I live life to the fullest, until the wheels fall off.”
Diaw has watched Turiaf frolic for nearly a decade. He has seen him do it in NBA arenas and on outdoor courts during summers back in France. It isn’t the game’s significance that triggers Turiaf’s delight, it’s just the game itself.
“He has been that way forever,” Diaw says. “You see Ronny dance, it’s not surprising. If Phil Jackson did it, that would be different. The Zen Master dancing, that would be surprising. But Ronny doesn’t give a dang. He’s just being himself.”
Just his encouraging, optimistic self, living life until the wheels fall off. Which, of course, is absolutely, certainly going to happen any moment now.
April 24th, 2007
Both men and women tend to lose hair due to some hormonal changes in the body. It is mainly the alterations in the metabolism of androgen in the body that brings about hair loss. Androgen is the male hormone that plays a very important role in both hair loss and hair growth. This metabolism of androgen gets involved with an enzyme, the 5 alpha reductase which tends to combine with the male hormone, testosterone to give DHT (Dihydrotestosterone). This DHT is the natural metabolite of the human body that is the main reason for hair loss.
The most important structure of a hair follicle is the dermal papilla, which is responsible for hair growth. The cell of this dermal papilla divides and differentiates to form a new hair follicle. As this dermal papilla lies in direct contact with blood capillaries of the skin, it is responsible for deriving nutrients for hair follicle growth. This dermal papilla has many receptors for androgens; where men have more androgenic receptors here than women.
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It is very important for a person to have proper nutrition to maintain hair. So when DHT reaches the hair follicles and dermal papilla, it tends to prevent proteins, vitamins and minerals from providing the needed nourishment to sustain life in the hair of these follicles. With this, the hair follicles tend to reproduce at a slower rate and this in turn either shortens the growing phase of the hair follicles or lengthens its resting stage.
DHT is also responsible for shrinking hair follicle with which the hair follicle gets smaller and finer. This is referred to as miniaturization with which the hair ultimately falls off. This is how DHT is responsible for about 95% of hair loss. The men or women who lose more hair are those who are genetically pre-disposed in producing more DHT than others.
In addition to all this, DHT tends to create a wax like substance around the hair roots and it is this accumulation of DHT in the hair follicles and roots that gives rise to male and female pattern hair loss. There is a type of treatment that blocks the synthesis of DHT at molecular level to cure both male pattern and female pattern hair loss. This is done by using one of the many natural DHT blockers and drugs that are used for medical hair restoration.
April 18th, 2007
Here’s a new word for you: obsolagnium. You may not find it in an ordinary dictionary. But if you are older than 50, you may well be familiar with the concept, because it means “waning sexual desire resulting from age.”
In fact, it is rarely age per se that accounts for declines in libido among those in the second half-century of life. Rather, it can be any of a dozen or more factors more common in older people that account for the changes. Many of these factors are subject to modification that can restore, if not the sexual energy of youth, at least the desire to seek and the ability to enjoy sex.
Nor is it just hormones. Addressing only the distaff half of the population, the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, in its newest work, “Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause,” points out: “Our sexual desire and satisfaction may be influenced by our life circumstances, including the quality of our sexual relationships, our emotional and physical health, and our values and thoughts about sexuality, as well as by the aging process and the shifting hormone levels that occur during the menopause transition.”
The same, of course, is true of men. Difficult life circumstances can do much to dampen anyone’s libido. Stress at work or home, looming bankruptcy, impending divorce, serious illness, depression, a history of sexual abuse and a host of medications are among the many things that can put a big crimp in your desire for sex at any age.
As people age, both physical and emotional changes occur that can influence libido. Wrinkles, hair loss, declining muscle mass and accumulation of body fat, among other age-related changes, can make men and women feel less attractive. And if you don’t see yourself as attractive, your brain may respond by dampening any impulse you might have to be intimate with someone.
I have no studies to corroborate this idea, but I strongly suspect that older people who stay in shape physically, keep their brains stimulated and remain interested in a variety of activities are likely to feel more attractive and bemore attractive - and thus more libidinous - than those who let themselves go to pot, as it were. I’m not suggesting that people in their 60s and 70s start dressing and acting like 20-somethings, but there are any number of age-appropriate actions that can help people see themselves - and help others see them - as sexually desirable beings.
Of course, illness, both mental and physical, can seriously disrupt a healthy libido at any age. Diseases of the adrenal, pituitary or thyroid glands can diminish sexual desire, as can depression and anxiety. Likewise, several common cancers - especially cancers of the breast, testes or prostate or the drugs used to treat them - may suppress the desire for sex.
Many commonly administered medications can interfere with sexual desire, performance or both. Among the most frequent offenders are antidepressants and antianxiety drugs, blood pressure medications and opioid pain relievers. High doses of alcohol likewise blunt desire as well as performance. Even drugs taken to curb heartburn can curb the desire for sex. In some instances, changing the dose, switching to a different drug or taking a brief drug holiday (say, for the weekend) can boost libido.
While a drug like Viagra may help a man temporarily overcome disease- or medication-induced erectile dysfunction, it does nothing to increase desire, which is essential for these potency-enhancing drugs to work.
Knowing how to please each other sustains sexual interest for many long-established couples. But for others, familiarity can breed boredom; they lose interest in doing the same old thing the same old way time after time.
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Novelty is a well-established sexual stimulant. An unattached man or woman in midlife or beyond who had all but forgotten about sex meets someone new and attractive, and suddenly the flames of sex are reignited. This can happen, too, to very old people. Stories abound in assisted living and nursing home facilities of elderly widows and widowers whose long-dormant sexuality is reawakened by attraction to a new, albeit equally old, partner.
Of course, changing partners is not a realistic option for those in a long-standing monogamous relationship in which sexual intimacy is just a fond memory.
But there are ways for such couples to introduce novelty - ranging from a change of venue or techniques to an exchange of fantasies or even the introduction of sex toys - that may rekindle sexual feelings.
Even young couples can find their interest in sex diminished by a fear of interruption or being overheard by children or an elderly parent. It can take some effort - and perhaps a lock on the bedroom door and background music - to reduce the risk of distractions that blunt the flame of desire.
Women may think that the decline in estrogen at menopause is responsible for their loss of interest in sex. But estrogen loss is only an indirect factor; it can result in vaginal tightness and dryness that renders intercourse painful rather than pleasurable. The use of lubricants and a dildo or more frequent sex can often counteract these effects. But for some women, the use of a vaginal estrogen cream or suppository is necessary to make sex comfortable and more desirable.
But the real libido hormone, for both men and women, is testosterone, which women produce in their ovaries and adrenal glands. As other ovarian hormone levels drop after menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, so does the amount of desire-boosting testosterone. This has prompted some women to use testosterone replacement therapy to get their sex lives back on track. One drug commonly prescribed off-label is Estratest, a combination of small doses of estrogen and testosterone. Some doctors tailor-make low-dose testosterone preparations for women. A testosterone patch for women has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration because of insufficient safety data.
Women taking testosterone should be carefully monitored, because safe levels of the hormone for women have not been determined. Common side effects include unwanted hair growth and a deepening of the voice. Women who have had breast or uterine cancer or diseases of the liver or heart should avoid testosterone replacement.
Sexual desire among men, too, can be squelched by low levels of testosterone. While there is no official recognition of male menopause, men experience declining levels of hormones as they age - what some experts called andropause - that can affect sexual desire and performance. Other symptoms of this deficiency may include enlarged breasts, loss of body or facial hair, and osteoporosis before age 65.
Testosterone replacement is helpful in restoring the sex drive only of men who have low levels of the hormone. A test of testosterone levels should be done and other causes (besides age) should be ruled out before the hormone is prescribed. Risks include prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.
April 17th, 2007
Chris Payne of Jackson has grown his hair out for three years in order to supply Locks of Love with material for hairpieces for children.
This is the second time Payne has donated his hair. Payne lost his dad due to lymphoma in 1998. “While visiting my dad in the hospital, I noticed a number of children who had lost their hair due to side effects from chemotherapy,” Payne said. “I felt that I could honor my dad and help out kids who were suffering by donating my hair.”
Jennifer Hallum, owner of Bella Lei Salon & Spa in Jackson donated her time to cut his hair, ending up with three 15-inch ponytails. She is experienced in cutting hair for the Locks of Love program. “It was unusual to get three ponytails off one individual but Chris’ hair was very thick,” Hallum said.
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Locks of Love is a charitable organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair-loss. They require that any donated hair be at least 10 inches in length.
April 12th, 2007
In addition to loud noise, certain cancer drugs or genetic factors can cause hearing loss in humans due to loss or faulty development of the sensory ‘microphones’ (hair cells) inside the ear – the cochlea.
Lost hair cells are not replaced and people exposed to these conditions face permanent hearing loss. Identification of the stem cells from the adult cochlea would be a major step forward to develop new therapeutic approaches to hearing loss.
Members of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine research team, Dr. Robert Miller and Dr. Kumar Alagramam, both of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, recently published research findings in Developmental Neuroscience which suggest new ways of treating hearing loss. These researchers have isolated “cochlear stem cells” located in the inner ear and already primed for development into ear-related tissue due to their proximity to the ear and expression of certain genes necessary for the development of hearing. “Previous work in our lab with young-adult mouse cochlear tissue showed expression of genes normally found in stem cells and neural progenitors. This led us to hypothesize that cochlea harbors stem cells and neural precursor cells. Our work in collaboration with Miller’s lab supports our hypothesis” Dr. Alagramam said. They say that in early life, these precursor cells may be able to regenerate hair cells, but their capacity to do so becomes limited as the ear develops and ages. The team’s research is a major step in devising a therapy to reverse permanent hearing loss because it may lead to the activation of cochlear stem cells in the inner ear to regenerate new hair cells. “Clearly we have miles to go before we reach our end goal, but the exciting part is now we can test compounds that could promote regeneration of hair cells from these precursor cells in vitro, we can study the genes expressed during the transition from stem cells to hair cells, and we can think of developing strategies for cell replacement, i.e. transplanting these cochlear stem cells into the adult cochlea to affect hair cell replacement in the mouse, by extension, in humans” remarked Dr. Alagramam.
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In this paper, Drs. Miller and Alagramam offer further evidence for the existence of cochlear stem cells in the mouse cochlea by confirming the ability to form ‘stem cell’ spheres in culture and by characterizing these cells in terms of neural and hair cell development using a panel of stem cell development and hair cell markers. The formation of spheres from early postnatal cochlear tissues and their expression of a wide range of developmental markers unique to hair cells confirm the possibility that self-supporting hair cell precursors exist in or can be derived from the postnatal mammalian cochlea.
Currently there are no clinical treatments to repair these hair cells vital to normal hearing. In the United States, 30% of people over the age of 65 have a handicapping hearing loss and of those, one in 500 people become deaf before reaching adulthood. In most cases, the target is the highly specialized hair cells. Docked inside the spiral duct of the human cochlea are ~15,000 hair cells, which are highly specialized neuroepithelial cells that enable us to hear a violin or a whisper. These hair cells differ in length by minuscule amounts and are set in motion by specific frequencies of sound. We hear this sound because this motion induces the hair cell to release an electrical impulse which passes along the auditory nerve to the brain. If the sound is too loud, the hair cells are da maged and no longer send signals to the brain. Severely da maged hair cells do not repair themselves nor do they regenerate naturally.
While further research is necessary, the researchers believe these precursor cells have the potential to regenerate the da maged hair cells and restore normal hearing. The team has already begun animal studies to explore the use of cochlear stem cells in well-established hair cell ablation models and in deaf mouse mutants with predictable patterns of early hair cell loss. This line of research will evaluate the in vivo survival and differentiation of self-renewing cochlear cell populations and potentially lead to new therapies for the numerous individuals that are going to suffer from noise-induced hearing loss in the near future.
April 10th, 2007
I try to live life with as little regret as possible, but sometimes it’s just too much to ignore. It’s amazing to even myself how much regret I have as it pertains to one person. A person I never met. I’m not always sure how I feel about it myself. Sometimes I wonder if I should just let it go, but certain things hit you at a certain time in your life, and no matter what ups or downs you experience, they will be with you.
Thirteen years ago today, on April 5th, 1994, Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, and reluctant voice of a generation, died in his Lake Washington home due to a shotgun blast to the head. It would be three days until his body was discovered.three days until a legion of the most important music fans since the days of George, Paul, John, Ringo, Plant, Page, and Sabbath would be forever changed. Three days until part of me would be dead, too.
At first, I thought it was a joke. I hoped it was a joke. It just couldn’t be true. When someone who has so much is no more, it just doesn’t seem real. I don’t remember much about the day his death was announced, because everything was a blur. My brain went numb. The only person I knew who understood was my friend Darett, who was as big a fan of Nirvana as I was at the time, if not bigger. Darett and I share a birthday. Same day, same year. But that day, we shared a soul, and it was not doing too well. And although both of us were experiencing the same pain and the same loss, neither of us said much about it. We just knew. We spent the rest of the day listening to Nirvana. That helped and made it worse at the same time.
That evening, we went to a little get together and watched somebody’s tape of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance while drinking cheap beer. It helped and made it worse at the same time. I remember just sitting in a leather chair trying not to cry, although my insides felt like a complete wreck. I hate to compare my pain to his, but I imagine the feeling in the pit of my stomach was similar to the feeling that Kurt spent a lot of his adult life experiencing. The same pain that may have led to his death. I remember a couple of people there laughing and ignoring the re-broadcast, impervious to anything and everything that was happening to Darett and me. I wondered how they could not appreciate the impact of what had just happened. Maybe Kurt was not your rock n’ roll savior, but couldn’t you relate to his absence?
In hindsight, I understand the ignorance of those individuals who did not share in my grief on that long, spring evening. Before Nirvana — singer/guitarist Cobain, bassist Chris Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl — came along, I did not put much stock into this sort of thing, either. I cared about art, but I was more about individual songs or events. I wasn’t aware of the impact an entire album could have on one’s life until Nevermind became a part of my permanent playlist.
Kurt and Nirvana came along at the perfect time in my life. And unfortunately, they were taken away from me while I was still going through that magical period. But had this happened three years earlier, it would have meant nothing to me. I was just lucky enough to collide with my would-be and should-be heroes just when I was looking for something more in life. I was always wondering what life had in store for me, but when I started falling for Nirvana and other bands of the like, that didn’t matter anymore, because I was happy.
I found a group of people who genuinely shared the love for the music. I found the bands that would change my life. I found something to believe in. Even if I didn’t know exactly where I was going, at least I knew I had a companion. Even when I was going nowhere in particular. During the Nirvana era, everything felt right. As soon as it was over, I was lost again. I still had the music. I had Nirvana’s music and countless new bands who I had grown to love along the way, but I felt so alone once Kurt was gone. Because I had come to realize that Kurt had become one of my best friends, even though he — nor my parents or most of my friends and family — never knew anything about it.
I believe I was just about to be a junior in high school when music started to become more important to me. I had always loved and lived for it, but now I found these bands who felt like they were mine, and of course, it all started with Nirvana. Nirvana opened the door to my personal renaissance, and even in their wake, they still hold the door open for me and keep out all the riff-raff. I was now into albums. I was learning. I was going to concerts. I was living. I was sharing art with friends. We knew we had each other, and we thought we’d have Nirvana for a real long time, too. On April 8th, 1994, I was nearly a year out of high school. I was trying to find myself. In some ways, I still am. But I remember being happy and carefree.
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I had just finished working a graveyard shift and for some reason, I hadn’t gone to sleep yet, although in Hawaii, it was nearly 10am, if memory serves me correctly. When I heard the news, even the dj was skeptical. The station I was listening to was the greatest radio station of all-time, Radio Free Hawaii. It was an independent station that did not have the support of any industry executives, but had enormous support from fans that were tired of top 40, and artists who were tired of starving, yet did not want to be embraced by the wrong audience, ironically, one of the possible downfalls of Cobain and Nirvana. Most of the djs were regular music fans with no experience in broadcasting.
The playlist for Radio Free Hawaii was voted for in ballot boxes across the island chain by the listeners. The djs would pull out random ballots throughout the day and pick one song off of each one to play. The dj’s had no say in what they would play, and that’s the way they liked it. When that morning’s dj, whose name escapes me now, announced the possible demise of the mighty K.C. and became increasingly more confident that the news was indeed true, he sounded just as hurt, lost and bewildered as I was, and that was the reason I was listening to that channel. I will never forget at that moment how close I felt to him and everyone else in the world who was touched by the music of Nirvana. We were quite an impressive army, but our arsenal was gone. We had nothing to fight for that day. It was a day of infamy. A day we wish had never happened, but a day which we will never forget.
To this day, there are still so many questions. The most common one is simple: “Why?” If Kurt indeed killed himself, which I believe, but not beyond a shadow of a doubt, he did, why would he sacrifice so much promise to get rid of a little pain. Sure, he was going through some shit, but he was too young and too talented to give up. Then there are the people who are almost sure it wasn’t a suicide and those who won’t talk. I’ve even heard the rumor discussed that even Chris and Dave won’t say what they truly feel happened because of the possible backlash. Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth has stated that she believes it was a homicide, and last time I checked, she is not what one would refer to as “batshit crazy”. She has also said that some people who were close to Kurt believe the same thing. I can’t help but wonder if she means Novoselic and Grohl. It’s still chilling to think about, but at this point, it hurts either way. The loss is still a heavy one. The music industry is still in search of a voice. A generation is still sleepwalking.
Then there’s the regret. It’s not really anything that weighs me down, but I can’t help but think about the night a classmate called me and offered me tickets to the sold out Nirvana concert. I don’t remember why, but I neglected to go, mainly because I was pretty sure I’d have the chance to see them again in the future, and I don’t believe I had fallen head over heels yet. I never got that chance again. Nirvana never came back to Hawaii, the place where Kurt married Courtney. I will never forgive myself for not going to that show. I often wonder how my life would be different if I had gone, but then I remember how much it changed based solely on their music, and though it still hurts, I can live with that.
Kurt Cobain would be 40 years old now. That’s hard to imagine, although I do subscribe to that generic thought process of 40 being the new 30. If Kurt were still here, he’d at the very least be living an interesting life. He’d be on our radar. He would not be Elvis. I don’t think he would have allowed that. Maybe he killed himself before he could become “Fat Kurt”, though I’m not sure if he was capable of being anything larger than 150 lbs.
I could’ve done this piece at any time, but I thought today would be a good day to pay tribute. It doesn’t take much for me to remember the legacy. Every time a Nirvana song shows up on my MP3 player, it takes me right back. But it doesn’t really feel that way, because I sort of feel like I’m still there, which sounds a lot sadder than it actually is. I wouldn’t say I’m living in the past, but there are definitely certain things that will never get old, and the music of Nirvana and the influence and inspiration left behind by Cobain definitely fall into that category.
April 5th, 2007
In a proclamation by President Bush in 2005, he stated, “During National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we renew our commitment to preventing child abuse and rededicate ourselves to working together to ensure that all children can have a bright and hopeful future.”
This special month kicks off today.
In statistics from the Public Children Services Association of Ohio website, pcsao.org, Fulton County reported the highest number of child abuse cases and Putnam County reported the lowest number in 2005, the latest numbers available.
There are four different categories of child abuse: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment.
In 2005, the following stats were reported for area counties:
Fulton County had 325 cases: 77 physical abuse, 148 neglect, 70 sexual abuse, and 30 emotional maltreatment.
Defiance County had 283 cases: 86 physical abuse, 116 neglect, 68 sexual abuse, and 13 emotional maltreatment.
Williams County had 232 cases: 69 physical abuse, 97 neglect, 62 sexual abuse, and 4 emotional maltreatment.
Henry County had 152 cases: 51 physical abuse, 59 neglect, and 42 sexual abuse.
Paulding County had 89 cases: 25 physical abuse, 46 neglect, 15 sexual abuse, and 3 emotional maltreatment.
Putnam County had 63 cases: 16 physical abuse, 17 neglect, 29 sexual abuse, and 1 emotional maltreatment.
Michelle Reinhart, interim supervisor for the children’s services unit of the Defiance County Job and Family Services, said each type of abuse has its own signs for people to look out for.
“In physical abuse, the physical indicators include unexplained, chronic and repeated bruising; unexplained burns; unexplained skeletal injuries like breaks; unexplained other repeated injuries such as swelts, human bites, abrasions and broken eardrums.
“Behavior indicators in physical abuse include either extreme withdrawn personality or extreme aggressiveness; inappropriate or excessive fear of a parent or care taker; unusual shyness; weariness of physical contact; anti social behavior especially in teenagers; reluctance to return home; depression/excessive crying; attempting to hide injuries.”
With sexual abuse, Reinhart said physical indicators include, “Semantic complaints including pain and irritation of the genital areas; STDs; pregnancy; bruises or bleeding from the externals of the genitalia; discharge; torn, stained, or bloody under clothes; frequent, unexplained sore throats; and yeast or urinary infections.
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“Behavior indicators include disclosure of the sexual abuse, they actually tell someone; poor peer relationships; regressive behaviors, like thumb sucking, bed wetting or reattachment to a favorite toy; promiscuity and seductive behavior; aggression and delinquency like substance abuse; preoccupation with their sexual organ or others’; nightmares or disturbed sleep patterns; unusual and age inappropriate interest in sexual matters; and a decline in school performance.”
Reinhart continued, “Physical signs of emotional maltreatment are eating disorders like obesity, aneroxia and bulimia; speech disorders; developmental delays; and nervous disorders such as hives, rashes, or hair loss which can occur in little kids.
“Behavioral indicators include picking up habit disorders like biting, rocking and head banging; again regressive behaviors like thumb sucking, baby talk, wetting or soiling of the pants by school age children; poor relations with peers; withdrawn behavior/social isolation. Also, they may exhibit cruel behavior, maybe they get pleasure out of hurting other people and animals; and again, substance abuse.”
Indicators for neglect include extremely poor hygiene, chronic diaper rash, lice, and body odor. Untreated illnesses or injuries; unsuitable clothing, “Mayby they are overdressed in warm weather or underdressed in cold weather,” said Reinhart. “Prolonged exposure to the elements resulting in excessive sunburn, colds, and insect bites.
“Behavior indicators are unusual school attendance (frequent absences or lateness); chronic hunger, begging or trying to collect leftovers; chronic tiredness; assuming adult responsibilities; reporting that mom and dad are not home often; and delinquency which indicates a supervision issued.”
April is a time when awareness of these problems are brought forth for people to take a stand in an effort to help the children in the world.
Child abuse can sometimes be a reaction to how a parent/adult handles stress.
To prevent child abuse, Reinhart suggests, “If you feel like you are getting angry and don’t believe you can handle the situation, get help. Keep yourself from getting angry — leave the room, bring someone in to help you, call somebody, take a walk. Baby proof your house so you’re not getting stressed constantly trying to keep the child from dangers such as electric outlets.
“Learn your child’s development. Know what is appropriate and not appropriate for their specific ages,” said Reinhart.
April 3rd, 2007