Jack & Jill Politics

Jeb Bush Joins the Tenet Gravy Train
Brett Arends
05/09/07 - 10:25 AM EDT
A senior member of the Bush dynasty is about to get a large sum of money from a company with a history of ethical violations.

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Jeb Bush, the president's brother and former governor of Florida, is up for election Thursday as a director of troubled hospital chain Tenet Healthcare (THC Quote - Cramer on THC - Stock Picks). Assuming he's waved through, his pay in his first year would come to nearly $37,000 a day.

This is the same Tenet that had to pay $900 million to Uncle Sam last summer to settle charges that it had overbilled Medicare and Medicaid over many years.

Nine hundred million dollars.

The U.S. attorneys announcing the settlement accused the company of "fraud" and trying to "manipulate and cheat the system."

Mike Leavitt, the Health and Human Services Secretary appointed by Jeb's brother George, said the company had "fraudulently abused the Medicare program."

It's also the same Tenet that just paid $80 million to the IRS after an audit found it owed back taxes going back as far as 1995.

The company recently had to restate nearly five years of earnings statements after an investigation into its books.

And this is just the big stuff. Tenet's recent public filings read like a police blotter. One of its clinics in South Carolina performed 436 open heart operations without certification. The company is being sued in California by staff claiming they were systematically short-changed on pay and overtime, in breach of the state's labor code. Three former Tenet staff members, at a New Orleans hospital it owned, are under investigation for allegedly euthanizing four patients following Hurricane Katrina.

All in all, it's hardly a surprise Tenet Healthcare stock has lost 85% of its value over the past five years.

The company hadn't returned phone calls seeking a comment by press time; neither had the former governor's representatives.

Tenet isn't partisan. Among its current directors is Bob Kerrey, the former Democratic senator from Nebraska.

This will be Jeb Bush's first job since leaving the governor's office in Tallahassee four months ago.

Of course, it's not quite the election he was hoping for. Once upon a time, the dynasty was grooming him to run for president. But his older brother got there first and has probably poisoned that well forever.

Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer won't be on hand for the vote at Thursday's stockholders meeting. Do not expect to see many "Jeb '08" badges around the Westin Hotel in Dallas. Somehow, the atmosphere won't quite match the excitement of waiting for the returns from Ohio.

But Jeb, look on the bright side.

You've been complaining about your finances. Your last filings as governor showed your net worth was down to just $1.4 million. Obviously, that figure won't count any of the vast Bush family fortune. But still, it's embarrassing. Who wants to ask mom and pop for extra cash every Fourth of July? At your age, you should be buying your own yacht.

Sure, the Tenet job may look pretty tacky for someone of your standing, but the pay isn't bad.

It's lucky the media aren't paying too much attention. Anyone reading the public filings would have discovered that in your first year, you'll earn $474,500 -- for 13 days' work.

That's $36,500 a day. And the "work" consists of sitting in a board room, so it's not exactly heavy lifting.

If the board meetings last an average of four hours, you'll be pulling in $9,125 an hour.

Not bad for a guy who could manage only a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas. Many of Tenet's 65,000 personnel are qualified medical staff with years of experience. Yet according to public filings, their average salary and benefits last year came to around $69,000 for full-time work.

You get that in two days.

Who says all the good jobs are going to China?

I'm sure your family lawyer has already explained the details, Jeb, but just to recap the terms: As a nonemployee director you'll get an immediate golden handshake of $260,000 in "restricted stock units." Nothing says "welcome aboard" quite like a quarter-million. Plus you'll get another $130,000 in restricted stock units each year. That's on top of your retainer of $65,000 a year.

And all that is before you turn up for a single board meeting. For each one you attend, you get another $1,500. There's another $1,200 every time you show up at a committee meeting.

A word of advice: Avoid the audit and compliance committees. There's too much work and there's always the risk something will go wrong. For an easy life, join the compensation committee. It meets only seven times a year and you don't have to do anything. Just hire some consultants to review executive pay, and agree to whatever they suggest. The executives will be grateful, and that can pay real dividends down the road. See it as using shareholder money to stock up the favor bank.

What a deal!

In case you missed these:

http://community.livejournal.com/obama_daily/16...

rikyrah: OOO! OOOO! OOO! LOOK! LOOK!:

Michelle Obama's Inauguration Dress: Vogue Designers Weigh In

Naturally, Vogue has a few ideas about what Michelle Obama should wear to the inauguration. Because the future First Lady has worn up-and-coming designers like Thakoon and Jason Wu, they asked a few other Vogue Fashion Fund designers for some sketches. Scroll down for two of them... click here for more.



Alexander Wang (obviously):

Marchesa: I LOVE THIS ONE!!!! :>)

THERE ARE MORE!

rikyrah: Coleman responds:

Coleman Sues Over Minnesota Senate Recount

(ST. PAUL, Minn.) — Republican Norm Coleman filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging Democrat Al Franken's apparent recount victory in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race, delaying a resolution of the contest for weeks or months.

At a Capitol news conference filled with cheering supporters, Coleman said he won't accept a board's determination a day earlier that Franken captured 225 more votes in the November election. He had a seven-day window to file the lawsuit.

"We are filing this contest to make absolutely sure every valid vote was counted and no one's was counted more than anyone else's," Coleman said.

Coleman shrugged off the idea that he might concede the election to avoid a protracted fight that could leave Minnesota with only a single senator in Washington for months.

"Something greater than expediency is at stake here," Coleman said. He added: "Democracy is not a machine. Sometimes it's messy and inconvenient, and reaching the best conclusion is never quick because speed is not the first objective, fairness is."

State law prevents officials from issuing an election certificate until legal matters are resolved.

Franken attorney Marc Elias called Coleman's lawsuit "essentially the same thin gruel, warmed-over leftovers from meals we've all been served over the last few weeks."

He said that Coleman has the right to sue, but that doesn't mean his claims have merit, and he is confident Franken would prevail.

Franken e-mailed supporters Tuesday to request donations to continue the fight, just as Coleman did a day earlier.

Coleman, whose term expired Saturday, led Franken by 215 votes in the Nov. 4 count but that advantage flipped during a prolonged recount.

In going to court, Coleman has three big challenges: raising money to pay escalating legal bills, proving the election was flawed and managing the public's desire to have the race over.

"They definitely have an uphill fight on their hands," said Guy-Uriel Charles, a professor of election and constitutional law at the University of Minnesota. "Their legal theory will have to overcome a burden of proof, and then they have to find enough votes to overcome Franken's lead."

That could prove difficult, since any bloc of new votes would almost surely include some for Franken, who declared victory Monday.

A lawsuit gives both sides options they lacked during the recount, such as accessing voter rolls, inspecting machines and introducing testimony from election workers

THERE IS MORE.

I believe that he was running LOW on FUNDS! Wonder HOW he's funding this litigation?? Oh. Well.

rikyrah: TECHNICAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

If you don't have cable TV, you won't be able to watch the opening inaugural ceremonies on January 18th. Barack Obama's inaugural committee announced Tuesday that HBO will exclusively air the kick-off concert and celebration on the steps of Lincoln Memorial that night. The premium cable channel will, however, offer access to cable and satellite distributors to televise the festivities for free.

FROM: http://www.politico.com/politico44/

rikyrah: Welllll. IFFF the GOSSIP keep coming---I feel that it is my CIVIC DUTY to SPREAD IT!: :>)

New poll shows Palin would trail Murkowski big in a Senate race

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Even with the last election barely two months in the rearview mirror, some in the national media have speculated that Gov. Sarah Palin might make a run for the U.S. Senate in 2010 as a prelude to running for president in 2012.

But a new poll out Monday shows Palin would have a tough time if she decides to take on Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Pollster Dave Dittman just finished a statewide survey on a possible Palin-versus-Murkowski matchup - and Murkowski beats Palin, at least in this poll, hands down.

Murkowski garnered 57 percent to Palin's 33 percent; 9 percent said they were not sure.

And given the senator's popularity, Dittman says Palin would not be wise to challenge Murkowski.

"And I think there would be a feeling, too, of overreaching -- going too far, too aggressive, too much too soon -- if Sarah decided to run for Senate," Dittman said. "When you've already got someone there with seniority, who most people think is doing a good job, I think it would be a huge mistake."

Murkowski sent what many viewed as a veiled warning to Palin a few weeks ago, telling politico.com, "I can guarantee it would be a very tough election ... If she wants to be president, I don't think the way to the presidency is a short stop in the United States Senate."

The governor's press secretary, Bill McAllister, says Palin has never indicated she's thinking about running against Murkowski.

"It's unfortunate that we keep talking about this rivalry that doesn't exist," he said. "She has not said, and I don't think needs to say, that she's going to rule something out in terms of her political plans in the future. But she's very focused on being governor now, does not see herself as a rival to Senator Murkowski."

And McAllister points to a newspaper opinion piece Murkowski and Palin co-wrote recently, stating they are not rivals.

"There's no reason to think that she's vying for a Senate seat," McAllister said, "I mean, in politics I suppose you never know what's going to happen."

And in the world of politics, that is often the key question.

A poll commissioned last month by the Web site dailykos.com showed Palin beating Murkowski 55 to 31 percent, although local pollster Dittman says he has concerns about the methods used to arrive at those numbers.

Contact Mike Ross at mross@ktuu.com

B4 I read the LAST paragraph, I was 'bout ta state that a former POLL had some very different results. Well!

Now we have "DUELING POLLS!" :>) *****

Time ta call "Mr. Silvers" to adjudicate!! :>) :>)

****Dueling Banjos Scene (Deliverance) ENJOY!! :>) :>)

rikyrah: Welllll. IFFF the GOSSIP keep coming---I feel that it is my CIVIC DUTY to SPREAD IT!: :>)

:-)

Against Race Politics: I'm trying ta B a "FINE PUBLIC SERVANT!" :>) :>)

The Buck stops here! LOL!

DES MOINES, Iowa -- An Iowa bank had an unexpected visitor on New Year's Day, a deer.

Witnesses said the deer smashed headfirst through the front window of the Frontier Bank in Rock Rapids and then started wandering around the building.

Check out this video.

http://www.kcci.com/news/18423717/detail.html

America's Most and Least Favorite Cities
Where Americans Do—and Don't—Want to Work and Live

Do you live in a city that you want to live in? If you're lucky, you already do—but many Americans would relocate at the drop of a hat if they could. This is the sort of thing that drives human resources people nuts.

After all, their jobs are all about finding, and retaining, talent, so it helps to know where people are willing to move to—or away from. To find out where these places are, they commissioned a study—and were good enough to share their findings with us.

1. New York

http://promo.realestate.yahoo.com/americas-most...

rikyrah: I tried to check this at another site. Nothing - YET! :>)

Obama to announce new reform post

From CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday will announce his selection for the role of "chief performance officer," a newly created position that will work to scrub the federal budget and reform
government, a Democratic official told CNN.

The person will "help put us on a path to fiscal discipline," the official said.

Watchin' this! :>)

rikyrah: Found this article about Mr. P-EO - back then: :>)

Video Emerges Of Obama The Food Critic

AP) Barack and Michelle Obama are known for nights out on the town in Chicago, dining at some of its poshest restaurants with the smartest chefs. But who knew the president-elect was a food critic?

"Check Please!," a Chicago public television round-table restaurant review show, has posted online two 7-year-old clips of Obama touting a favorite eating spot, the Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop in Hyde Park.

"I ordered the Southern Sampler just because I couldn't make up my mind," Obama says during the panel discussion, taped in August 2001 when he was in the Illinois Senate.

"I wasn't sure what I was in the mood for," he says. "It's not gourmet cuisine, but that's not why I go to Dixie Kitchen. What I'm looking for is food that tastes good for a good price."

David Manilow, creator and executive producer of "Check Please!," said Tuesday the program was one of the first episodes taped and it never aired. He said he chose Obama because of his comfort in front of television cameras.

Manilow said he's never forgotten about the episode, but decided to wait to air the entire show on Chicago's WTTW until the Friday before Obama's inauguration, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. He plans to release a third clip on Wednesday as a teaser.

"He's the kind of guy who can go to a pizza place or the fanciest place in town and be comfortable," Manilow said. "What you get to see from him is that seven years ago he was the same person."

Ever the politician, Obama gave a shout-out to his state Senate district during the show.

"You can do some good business out on the South Side of Chicago," Obama said. "We're glad to have you, since it's my legislative district. I want to see our small business owners succeeding out there."

Dixie Kitchen owner Carol Andresen said she's served the Obamas for years, describing them as gracious and unassuming guests. She likes what Obama had to say about her restaurant.

"It's true," she said. "He said this is not gourmet food and it's not. We are one of the few restaurants left today that makes almost everything from scratch."

Andresen also said she's delighted with all the attention.

"We've always been very successful so this will probably make us more successful," she said.

"Check Please!" has aired in Chicago for eight seasons and has thousands of people vie to be reviewers, Manilow said.

But what if Obama wanted to come back?

"There's an open seat at the table for him anytime," Manilow said.

He is just as GRACIOUS NOW!! :>) VERY NICE! :>)

LAWN JOCKEY ALERT!

Anybody watching PRIMETIME on ABC?

Can anybody tell why this fat lip greasy looking "brotha" was so Quick Draw McGraw to throw the Latinos out of the store?

And it wasn't his store or place to throw people out?

i caught that clip.. i can't believe so many people went by without saying anything! I would have injected myself all UP in the convo.

I might say something if it was like it was on TV. If the worker said something under their breath I probably wouldn't have.

iceberslim: I took a "Field Trip" annnnnd, made a comment!

SHRUB is like a "LEOPARD" [cain't change his spots] to the END!!

14 more days!! Whooo! Hooo! :>)

Iceberslim

You need to add Obama's retort to that write up. He gave a good one!! It was one of his first zingers on the campaign trail and it was awesome. He told that Austrian to send his own 250K people over there to fight the 'good fight'...I am paraphrasing..Obama worded it sooo much better...it was a very gracious FU!! hahahaa

I do not think that the Bushes were thinking the Obama's would need Blair house earlier. They probably never once thought about the girls having to start school before the 15th.

You are on the money Iceberg.

RAOTFL.

Too funny. hahahahahaha

Wow.
I just love that adverb, clusterphuck!! lol....K.O. is right....except their was no cluster with Lewinsky just her and Bill, is all.

According to Gallup, I am in the minority, only 27% of Americans agree with me that Burris should be seated.

Whatever.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/113674/Americans-Bur...

Has anyone watched the program My Big Redneck Wedding on CMT? I saw the previews for a while and I am so tempted to watch it but I am feel like I am supporting stereotypical garbage. But today's episode is about a brother and sister who are getting married.

No really, they are serious. The fiance says "keep it in the family". LOL Then the girl comes out of the room and asks her mother what she thinks about the dress, the Mother says -- I don't like it becasue it is ugly. It is the ugliest dress I ever laid my eyes on. Then the girl says, Ma you hurt my feelings I aint getting married. Then the mother says -- you are going to marry your brother whether you like it or not.

LOL

Then they are having the bridal shower and they have a stripper. Granny is there with NO TEETH. Telling the guy take it off and is rubbing the guys . . . well.

I guess I will be watching this show tonight. LOL I have never seen anything like it.
May as well get educated. LOL

wait wait . .. for decorations they hung bras from the ceiling. lol RAOTFL


Lawd lawd. I have never seen anything like this. LOL Dropping off for 1/2 hour all.

I guess I will be watching this. too funny. I can't believe they set themselves up like this. lol

wait one more. The mother sits her daughter down to tell her about birth control. So she gets a zip lock bag and pulls it over a can of beer.

RAOTFLMAO. whooo hoo lololol bwahahhaaaaa

I have to shut the doors so my kids and husband can't see me watching this mess. lolol. shame on me. shame.

Is this for real??? I just FOUND CMT (never watched the channel before)- knew I probably had it....and oh my word..................is this for real?!?!?

Val,
This is buffoonery. It might be funny..but the cost to us as a culture is too great to support shows of this nature. Please enjoy it tonight...but let's boycott this type humor. It is totally unhealthy for our children, their self-esteems and their future.

It perpetuates racism.

Okay. I had enough. I am stopping at one Whiterose.

Apparently tonight is an allnighter on this program. Go figure. lol

I am laughing too hard so I am going cold turkey at the one preview and I can see I would get hooked on this garbage. Cutting myself off now before I change my mind. LOL

I have to pray for myself after this one. lol Later all.

I know that.

I know it. I believe that. But I peeked and I cant stop watching.

you are too funny...and I do have to admit ..your descriptions made me HOWL...rotfl

nope wasnt a can of beer. Her mother put the ziploc bag over a banana and told her make sure she tied a ribbon on the end of the ziploc bag so it wouldn't leak and to make it pretty.

lolol Tom Arnold is the host of the show. sorry. last comment from me.
http://www.cmt.com/shows/

but you share your shame with your JJP fam? lol

are they really brother and sister? what is the 411?

girl was adopted. lol

JJai - I know I am wrong. This is against everything I believe. LOL but it is funny as heck. Now they are putting notices on trees in the neighborhood to give the directions to their backyard wedding. They are using cardboard and duct tape. and yes I am sharing this with you all because I am too embarassed to tell my husband I am watchng this. LOLOL You have GOT to see it. lololol It is hysterical.

LOLOLOLOL You should see their transportation. A rusted truck. OMG!!!!! I can't take it. lolololol

OMG....its a marathon! Its show after show of "Redneck Weddings"......wow......I thought these were just internet funnies that I got every so often from friends...who knew??

RAOTFLMAO. See Miranda. I am TRYING TO STOP WATCHING. lol Please. help me. . . . . this is just wrong.

This is more wrong than Flava of Love, Real Housewives of Atlanta, and 2 Live Crew bootleg videos combined..

Miranda. I tried to stop watching and I couldnt. This one is weird. The guy collects dead roadkill and racoon penis bones because he says it is made of ivory and the bride wants her cake held up by beer cans and they want to use a hack saw to cut the cake. LOL It is wrong. I.CANT.STOP.WATCHING. I'm trying. I really am. This is just wrong.

Help Whiterose. My brain is being fried.
wait. . . I know. I will call my husband into the room and I will be so embarassed I will HAVE to change the channel before he opens the door.

That is a plan. yep I have got to do it.

Now you have me watching this! I wont forgive you, I swear I won't!

lol can't blame you. I can't forgive myself for peeking at the first episode.

Val: Psssssst! ***whispering***

I believe that you were directed to the "BAD CHAIR!"

Shhhhhh. This is between me and you.>/i> :>) :>)

BUT, Ima 'gree with you. It's hard ta stop laughin'! :>) :>)

you guys are crazy. I confess I watched an episode before where they jumped into a mud pit after the ceremony. Bizarre and hilarious....

I also find it bizarre that the host of the show satirizes its subjects and they still appear on ths show. Most times like Flavor of Love, etc. the hosts feign interest and empathy in the contestants...

KO is going off on Ann "Coiltergiest." LOL!

That was great! What a nice pick-me-up! A good bashing of that walking boil was just what I needed to hear!

Hell Yeah....he sure is! lol

Keith is so much fun!

That's my favorite picture of soon to be President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Me too; it's like "Babe I got you, it's going to be allright" Isn't that what our love is all about....

tracey: Hey! :>)

-Er. -ummmm - Did you REQUEST this?

I Got You Babe 1965 (Sonny and Cher)

ENJOY!! :>)

I love to see pics of the Obamas together. Especially the President Elect and First Lady Michelle. They let the whole world know they have great "relations". lol

"ain't nothing wrong with a lil' relations..."

LOL!

No, sure isn't

Go Michelle!

If the White House is a rockin', don't come a knockin'!

Bow Chicka Wow Wow!

:-P

LOL!

Guuurl....if AIR FORCE ONE is rockin....it ain't turbulence!!

whiterosebuddy: LOL! :>

Ima close my EYE at the appropriate time! [IFFF the plane is shown on tv] :>)

LOL - now that's a good one. I've missed how hilarious the open threads can be.

lolol I am just JEALOUS I tell you. lol but I am happy for my Girl First Lady Michelle. lol

lol

Sure do!

Dianne Feinstein, SEAT BURRIS

A VERY GOOD READ:

http://sportsonmymind.com/2009/01/06/years-gone...

Excerpt:

Ahhhh yes, the system.

Ten years later and 30 years ago a group of black people demanded that the system change by demanding that they be able to live their lives as they choose. Thirty years ago they found themselves engaged in a one-way shootout at their home in the middle of Philadelphia - yes, in the middle of a major American metropolis. The system sent its enforcers out to kill the black people who demanded respect from the system; nine of those people were framed and convicted of murder.

Seven years later and 23 years ago that same group of black people, reformed and living with a near-maniacal sense of urgency due to losses of their members to the system and living with an added resolve, had over 10,000 rounds of live ammunition fired into their new home - a row house - in the middle of a major U.S. metropolis where black boxers of global renown were born and raised yet where they would instead erect a statue of a white boxer born from the figment of a Hollywood scriptwriter’s imagination.

Good morning America.

All right let it stop right now. We are not lab rats. just ask and someone will tell you. We don't ask about bris. I know what gefilite fish, haggis and nori are because I was going to eat it. I know the chinese are all over Asia and have local names and look like where they live except in Jamica. But enough is enough. From the front page of the WAPO internet edition:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...

This is not a thread to bash people wearing relaxers. I had a relaxer in my hair for 20+ years. I haven't relaxed my hair in 3 years and I'll rock a Roshumba fro before I go back to relaxers. I won't tell any pther woman what to do with her hair -- that's her choice.

The problem with seeking out a "gentle relaxer" is there's no such thing as a gentle relaxer. The chemicals are breaking down the structure of the hair.

I remember in the 80s and early 90s, black women would relax the hair and the hair was still thick and had some life to it. Mine did, anyway.

But it seems for the past 10 or so years, I'm seeing A LOT more black women with broke off edges, thinning hair, wispy ends and I believe the chemical formulations of the relaxers have gotten A LOT stronger.

IMO if Clairol or Miss Olgilvee was breaking off white women's hair like black women's hair is being broke off, Clairol and Miss Olgilvee would be off the shelves.

I'm not saying that to be racially provocative. Black women's hair is simply not going to be a high priority for 95% of the country so if these companies are selling caustic chemicals that's breaking down BW's hair no matter what brand -- they don't know about it and they don't understand, so they can't make the necessary and needed changes.

The best way to get "gentle" relaxers is to stop using relaxers so much. But there's so much pressure out there to have long silky straight hair...

I expect to see a lot more of these type of articles {the exotic & strange things black people do} in the future now that the Obamas have come to town.

Thanks for posting this. Repeat after me: A texturizer is still a relaxer. Just because a chemical is naturally occurring doesn't mean that it's not damaging.

There is no way to straighten hair without damaging it. Do you really think that ceramic flat iron that is permanently straightening your hair isn't damaging it?

Girlfriend please.

The analogy that helped me see the light was my hair was like my right hand. I start off with all five fingers-my hair is healthy. Relaxers weaken your hair (cut off a finger). Color weakens it even more (there goes another finger). You have to blow dry (there's another finger). Don't forget the flat iron or curling irons to silken everything out (where did that four finger go?)

You left with a thumb and damaged hair.

I recommend afrobella.com

Town: Haven't had one in over 40 years. BUT I have been "great friends", recently, with Ms. Ceramic Flat Iron! :>) :>)

If I had known about Ms. Flat Iron earlier, I would have broke up with Mr. Relaxer a lot earlier.

Town: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! ***shakin' my head*** :>) :>)

Admittedly, B4 Ms. Flat Iron, Ms. Straightening Comb [her 'cousin'] and I really "bonded"! :>) :>)

I love Ms. Flat Iron, but Ms. Straightening Comb gives me flashbacks of sitting in the kitchen while my mom pressed my hair and me cringing in fright as she was trying to get my edges. There where very few times she got my forehead or ear (because I was squirming after she told me to sit still) but those few times were enough.

You're giving me flashbacks of my sister burning the crap out of my poor little ears. And adding insult to injury afterwards..... by putting my hair in all those pony tails! Just much too much!

lol

pjamma: SAME experiences!! :>) :>)

BUT, even worse, I vividly remember the sounds of "ffffitttzzzz" when I did my own hair.!! :>) :>)

I had so many burn spots that IFFFF I didn't know betta, I woulda REPORTED MYSELF for "ADULT ABUSE!!" :>)

LAWD HA'MERCY!!! :>) ***shakin' my head***

Over the last ten years a number of black companies have been taken over by white companies: L'Oreal owns SoftSheen / Carson now, etc.

I've heard Dark and Lovely was always harsh. Revlon is basically bankrupt.

Perhaps applying a toxic chemical every 6 weeks is too soon.

Worst of all are people who apply these harsh relaxers to little girls.

The need to stop acting like black folk are the only ones who use relaxers. White women, Asian women, even Middle Eastern women (there was an article in Essence magazine several years ago about this) use relaxers.

I'm going to go into some detail on the caustic and deadly affects of chemical relaxers

I too had relaxers for a decade until my twin sister died of cancer. She was 33 years old and had 5 children. It's been 20 years since I've gone natural and I have no regrets.


She was a cosmetologisst and applied and breathed chemicals from relaxers, haircoloring, etc. She also had relaxed hair.

Her doctor told her the chemical burns in her scalp was the cause of her cancer. He said the chemical seeped into her blood stream, and her immune system couldn't work with the toxicity.

I agree with him I 've taken care of a few black female cancer patients in my day who had relaxers, and my suspisions led me to believe a precursor to their illness was from the repeated use of relaxer toxicity.

I agree it's all about choices here; I'll never go back to chemicalized hair; keeping the "knottted coils" thank you.

Yes, we'll probably see more of these articles; we need to educate all the non-Blacks so they'll be in the know about the Obamas. LOL

This issue is one thaat women of all colors who use chemicals can and should take a closer look at. How far does one go to achieve beauty (silky shiney hair) or risk health and possibly their life?

spirit: My deepest sympathies! PRAYING for YOU/YOURS.

Thanks for the advice.

Greenlady, thanks. Its an experience I'll not forget. We live, we love, we learn.

spirit: Amen!

Sorry to hear about your sister Spirit.
Was it an oncologist that told your sister the chemicals leaked into her bloodtream?

The article notes there is not a correlation with breast cancer.

When researchers at the Boston University-based Black Women's Health study were looking to understand why black women younger than 45 have a higher incidence of breast cancer than white women, they looked to use of chemical hair relaxers for a possible explanation. But they found no evidence to support that.

The researchers found that between 1997 and 2003, 574 women of the more than 48,000 in the study developed breast cancer, but there was no correlation between relaxer use and the illness. Women who had never used the products were found to have the same breast cancer risk as those who did.

Thanks, WRB. Yes, an oncologist made the definitivve diagnosis. I asked to see the lab results.

I'm a retired RN so I know how to read labs, histology report (cell study) was whack.

Spirit, I'm so sorry about your sister. You've definitely given me food for thought.

Thanks, Sepia. It's all about experience, learning and growth.

Wow, I had never heard about these kinds of side effects before. And I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your sister, Spirit_55z. Your experience certainly carries a lot of weight in this area, so if you run across any more articles on this issue, I'd be interested to read them.

I also have my own chemical burn horror stories. When a big chunk of my hair fell out, I was forced to go natural! LOL. But I've had locks for five years now and couldn't be happier.

How long are people leaving their relaxers in for? I have never been burned by a relaxer, or had my hair fall out due to one. I think a lot of the damage is due to people abusing the chemicals. Never try to go "bone straight" because that takes all the body and life out of the hair. I also see a lot of people overstyling their relaxed hair. In the summer, there's no point in putting a lot of heat on the hair to keep it straight, because its just too hot and humid.

I've alternated between relaxed hair and natural for about 10 years now, and no matter what, it's all about the care put into the hair.

Daisy, your'e right about proper care of the hair: It's so important particularly with relaxed hair.

The problem is many black women arent' going to put the relaxers in themselves; you can't see what you're doing.

So you go to the beautician who is SUPPOSED to know what she's doing but overlaps the relaxer, leaves it on too long to go wash out somebody else's head, smooths the relaxer all through the ends (a NO NO) or doesn't rinse it out 100%. 99% rinsed out is NOT good enough.

So you have dangerous chemicals, which IMO have gotten stronger within the last 15 years, being applied by people who don't know or don't care what you're doing...

then when your hair starts to break off, they suggest that "cute" cut...

But it doesn't solve the problem...

Then they suggest a weave here and there...

And then you see what you see walking down the streets of urban and corporate America today: fried, burnt up, broke down shells of hair...

Plus, a lot of women do not know how to take care of their hair, relaxed or natural.

Town, you're soon point as usual.

Case in point about applying chemical ourselves. I tried color my hair after I relaxing it. I left so much of my hair uncolored.

Looked like a skunk, and what color I did get in there, I didn't wash it all out after the allotted time.

I can understand women wanting to relax their hair. I did, and I know the reasons why I did it; to have ease in combing it, to have straight hair, to confrom to fit in and get a job....

Now, I choose it naturally because I choose the freedom of expressing it naturally.

I have put in a relaxer myself and IMO I did a better job of it than most "beauticians." For one, I made sure to rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse.

They say one of the reasons why many people with relaxers have problems growing hair on the back of the left side of their head is because that's the first place the beautician applies the relaxer so it stays on the longest and she usually stands to your left when she's rinsing you out and that spot isn't rinsed as well as it could be.

I'm sure, and save a bunch of $$$ too, I'll bet.

Yes, I've been in salons were the beauticians are overworked and some try to get as many heads in to make those tips too.

It's tricky, you just gotta know who's doing the do. I do miss going to the Beauty shops.

There was definitely a sense of community. bonding amongst the sistas. :-)

Daisy,
How long you leave a relaxer in demands on your hair texture. Black folks have such a wide spectrum of hair texture that it is difficult to say without looking at the hair.

Typically, the more porous the hair the less tightly coiled the strands are and it requires less time to relax. A person can usually tell how porous their hair is by how it reacts to humidity. If your hair is sensitive to humidity, i.e. it immediately curls up and looks like cotton candy on your head. Then your hair is porous, and will require less than 20 mins. to relax. Which means it should be sectioned and applied quickly. As the next thing that has to be done is the smoothing process which is what creates the bone straight hair without overuse of chemical. Smoothing is when you repeatedly run the comb through each section gently combing straight the hair as you smooth the relaxer through from the scalp to the ends of the hair.

Hope that helps.

I have that "cotton candy" hair you mention and you are so right, I was good after 10 minutes. My sister has really thick hair and she would leave hers in for half a hour. I stopped getting relaxers long ago because a flat iron works best for me.

spritz I am so sorry to hear about your sister. My sister also had cancer and after a year of treatment she is cancer free. Now I'm wondering if there is a correlation between the fact she used to leave her relaxers in for so long and the cancer.

Thanks, claudia. I'll be sure to pass along any information I can on the this.

Town made an important point about the caustic nature being alot more potent years ago.

None the less, chemicals are chemicals. We all have free will, and information is power.

I'm sorry, Spirit!

Wow, I didn't have any idea about something like that!

Justice, thanks. It 's what happened to my sister. It doesn't mean other women or men will have the same experience. It's an experience we can discuss and learn more about.

You're welcome, Spirit!

I know, but it sure is worth learning more about it.

Again, so sorry for your loss. I can relate.

Huh?

?? I dont' understand your response to the article.

Oh geez. I opened it and immediately closed it.

Can't do it. Won't read it.

LMAO......Its not bad.
I actually had a classmate at FAMU whose goal was to create her own line of organic relaxers (and yeah she did retouches all up in Truth Hall, LMAO!)...she was a pharmacy/business admin double major (damn, aint that some ish??) I often wonder if these new lines of organic products I see are her creations.

Now You Know, I Love That Pic! The Come From Behind Kiss!

Sweet Love! I Like That So Much! :)

Co-sign! Love them together!

And now that we know what is under that shirt that she is holding onto...we completely understand that swoooned look on Michelle's face, and Obama is loving every minute with his head tilted back and looking like he ate the last piece of pie...yummy good is the only way to describe his expression...and 'gimme some mo"
'

Too funny! like he eat the last piece of pie..... yummy good. Black love, it's a wonderful thing

lol

Yes! Their love for each other is a beautiful thing!

Feinstein: Seat Burris In Senate

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/06/feinst...

hahaha a "great" advocate.