October 12, 2017
01. Trump Axes Climate Plan as the World Burns
02. Hollywood, Harvey and Who Knew?
03. Trump/Tillerson – The MENSA Challenge
04. Have You Been Cyber-Breached?
05. Stop Asking Why Abused Women Stay
06. Nat Geo – The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman
07. 84% of Puerto Rico Still Without Power
08. Cryptocurrency and BitCoin Explained
09. What’s Your Glass Ceiling?
10. The BRCA Gene Dilemma
11. Could Lifestyle Habits Be Affecting Weather?
12. Are We Raising Mass Murderers?
13. How to Survive a Mean Teacher
14. After DACA, He Wants to Inspire Dreamers
15. Take an International Us vs. Them Quiz
=======================================
1. ==> Trump Axes Climate Plan as the World Burns
Journalist Alexander Kaufman writes, “Wildfires are
raging through California’s wine country. Flooded homes
in Houston, Texas, are still rotting. Puerto Ricans are
languishing in darkness, collecting drinking water from
streams. And South Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands
were still picking through the rubble, as yet another
hurricane made landfall over the mouth of the
Mississippi River. Scientists say the frequency and
severity of natural disasters like these are linked to
climbing global temperatures. But the Trump
administration on Tuesday announced plans to repeal the
United States’ only major policy to combat climate
change.” Invite Kaufman, a climate, environment and
business reporter at HuffPost, based in New York, to
discuss how the Environmental Protection Agency is
being dismantled and why. Email him at
alexander.kaufman@huffingtonpost.com. You can reach him
by encrypted email at alexanderckaufman@protonmail.com
or direct message him on Twitter @AlexCKaufman for his
phone number on Signal.
2. ==> Hollywood, Harvey and Who Knew?
Harvey Weinstein, one of the most prodigiously
successful producers of his generation, was publicly
accused this week of being a serial sexual predator,
with more than a dozen prominent actors coming forward
to say they’ve been the target of his harassment and
assault. Some say it was an open-secret for decades,
but others in the industry say they were shocked by the
news. Tom Gagliano says “The casting couch has been
around since movies began. What’s changed, is that it’s
more difficult to keep this kind of secret today,
especially with social media.” Gagliano adds, “And it’s
not just about sex, it’s all about control and power.”
He’ll discuss whether it’s fair to assume others knew,
how so many victims could stay quiet for so long, and
why just one person standing up can make a difference.
Tom Gagliano, MSW, is a mentor, speaker and the author
of several books including “Don’t Put Your Crap in Your
Kid’s Diaper.” Contact him at (732) 266-4952;
gags17285@aol.com
3. ==> Trump/Tillerson – The MENSA Challenge
President Donald Trump bragged on Tuesday that he could
beat Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on an IQ test.
Trump’s response was to reports that Tillerson had
called him a moron. MENSA, which bills itself as “the
high IQ society,” is now offering to give both Trump
and Tillerson an IQ test. “American Mensa would be
happy to hold a testing session for President Trump and
Secretary Tillerson,” Charles Brown, the group’s
communications director, says. Neither Trump nor
Tillerson have publicly responded to Mensa’s offer for
testing, but maybe you should have your own MENSA
challenge! Think you know the smartest person in your
group? There are upwards of 200 intelligence tests that
may qualify a person for admission to Mensa. The IQ
tests are administered by psychologists and a number of
school districts across the United States. (Contact
Charles Brown at (817) 607-0060, ext. 5512;
CommunicationsDirector@americanmensa.org
4. ==> Have You Been Cyber-Breached?
Cyber security breaches seem to be occurring with
alarming frequency lately. Consumer credit agency
Equifax revealed that a cyber security hack exposed
financial information for 143 million U.S. consumers.
This follows high-profile security leaks at Yahoo and
Verizon that also compromised customers’ personal
information. Nick Selby, a police detective with 20
years of experience fighting cyber criminals, can
discuss why major security leaks are happening in
greater frequency, how they affect consumers, and steps
people can take to protect their identities, their
finances and confidential information from cyber
criminals. Nick Selby regularly discusses cybercrimes
in media such as CNN, Fox News, NPR and more. His new
book is “Cyber Attack Survival Manual: From Identity
Theft to the Digital Apocalypse and Everything in
Between.” Contact John Angelo at john@premieretv.com.
5. ==> Stop Asking Why Abused Women Stay
Many people wonder why women who are being verbally,
physically or mentally abused by their boyfriends and
husbands continue to stay with their abusers. Find out
why women continue on in horrific relationships by
interviewing Darla Colinet in October, for National
Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Darla got married at
18 and stayed married to an abusive husband for 13
years. Afraid for her life and the lives of her two
young sons after her husband choked her into
unconsciousness at one point, Darla waited for her
husband to come home with a shotgun in her hand.
Fortunately, he did not come home at that time and she
eventually fled to two different safe homes and out of
state after her husband sent people to find her. Darla
can share her life story and insights she gained from
talking with hundreds of other women with your
audience. Now happily married to a man who treats her
well, she can also discuss the conversation every
parent should have with their young daughters to
heighten their awareness of the dangers of charismatic
but deadly boys and men. Reach her at (970) 631-2529;
darla@godstransforminggrace.com
6. ==> Nat Geo – The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman
Why do some people rise to power and others do not? Why
do we fall in love — not just with romantic partners
but with friends and strangers? How has our need to
share beliefs built human culture? National
Geographic’s new series The Story of Us with Morgan
Freeman takes viewers on a global journey to meet with
people from different cultures whose lives are shaped
in surprising ways by different fundamental forces,
exploring themes that unite us all. Each of the six
hour-long episodes will explore a single fundamental
force or topic: freedom, peace, love, social division,
power and rebellion. Along the way Freeman meets and
speaks with powerful world leaders, ordinary people
with extraordinary stories and everyone in between.
Invite executive producer James Younger to discuss the
show, as well as his previous projects which include
The Story of God with Morgan Freeman. Contact Johanna
Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137; johanna@jrbcomm.com or
Megan Bonomo at (703) 646-5188
7. ==> 84% of Puerto Rico Still Without Power
The majority of Puerto Rico remains in the dark and
Federal officials privately admit there is a massive
shortage of meals in Puerto Rico three weeks after
Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Imagine what it
would be like to live with no electricity, no internet,
no cell phone reception and no idea when any of that
might return. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the
people of Puerto Rico are living through that nightmare
and worse. Robin Burk, Ph.D., MBA, explains the cascade
of other failures that follows from the grid being down
across the island and why any of us could be just one
hurricane, earthquake, cyberattack or nuclear attack
from North Korea from facing similar devastation. Burk
offers important steps you can take now to plan for
potential attacks and disasters that could badly
disrupt the systems we often take for granted. Burk’s
message is all the more powerful because of who she is:
She was in charge of the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency’s interdependent networks research and is an
expert on network science. The DTRA is an organization
tasked with safeguarding national infrastructure
against weapons of mass destruction. Burk has been
featured in Wired, on MSNBC and on dozens of radio
shows. She is the author of the upcoming book “How to
Thrive in an Uncertain World.” Contact her at (703)
346-4448; robin.kowalchuk.
8. ==> Cryptocurrency and BitCoin Explained
We hear the term bitcoin bandied about, but many people
don’t know what the word means or how that technology
works. Just this week, Wall Street Journal reported
that the first blue-chip Wall Street company, Goldman
Sachs, is preparing to trade in the controversial
bitcoin space. L.A. attorney, JR Lanis, can explain the
rapid development of cryptocurrency and how it works.
Lanis, who’s completed major transactions in this
space, says this “futuristic” technology could, and may
very well soon, change the way money is exchanged for
just about anything and everything. He’ll discuss how
this technology is evolving and what the impact of the
implementation of it will be. JR Lanis is an
experienced securities and M&A attorney and partner at
the international law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath
LLP. Contact Cherie Kerr at (714) 550-9900;
cherie@kerrpr-execuprov.com or (714) 271-2140 (cell) or
Shannon Dugger at (303) 619-3949; Shannon@kerrpr-
execuprov.com
9. ==> What’s Your Glass Ceiling?
Just because you are not a woman or a minority does not
mean there isn’t a glass ceiling over your head—an
invisible barrier that prevents you from being more
successful at work. Leadership experts Roe and Don
Polczynski, Jr. say that nearly all of us have such
personal glass ceilings and when the companies we work
for ignore them their own corporate glass ceiling
becomes thicker too. With a recent Gallup survey
suggesting that 67% of American workers don’t care
about their company’s mission, it’s time to listen to
Roe and Don as they discuss what individuals can do to
take a hammer to their personal glass ceiling and what
management can and must do to help them crack it.
Increasingly employees want to feel that their boss
listens to them and treats their problems as their
problems. A more empathetic workplace is not an option,
Roe and Don say, but a requirement. The couple have
developed a life’s formula to help people break through
their glass ceilings and reach their ideal future. It
is contained in their book, “Changing Your Equation.”
Reach Roe and Don at (315) 368-8661;
RoeandDon@ChangingYourEquation.com
10. ==> The BRCA Gene Dilemma
If you learned you or someone you love had a gene
associated with cancer, would you consent to have
healthy tissue removed as a preventative? After
Angelina Jolie went public with her prophylactic
mastectomy (having her healthy breasts removed), many
women with the same BRCA gene had their breasts removed
so they would not live in fear of getting breast
cancer. But is this a good idea? Jeanne Dockins, RN,
BSN, who spent more than three decades as a surgical
nurse at a level I trauma center, says research
suggests otherwise. For October’s Breast Cancer
Awareness Month, there is no better time to discuss the
myth that having a positive BRCA gene test makes women
at high risk for breast cancer. Jeanne says women with
the BRCA gene have a genetic predisposition for breast
cancer but a woman’s lifestyle, attitudes, external
environment, and beliefs determine if the gene will be
turned on. Distressed by the numbers of women having
their healthy breasts removed at her hospital, Jeanne
wrote a short story, “The Breast Cancer Gene Dilemma.”
It contains resources to inspire women to do their own
research and make an informed decision prior to having
their breasts removed. Contact her at (520) 343-0222;
jdockins@gmail.com
11. ==> Could Lifestyle Habits Be Affecting Weather?
Weather catastrophes are very unforgiving, and very
powerful, but are we hopeless in the face of these
weather disasters? Can we do anything to prevent future
incidents from occurring or at least from becoming more
frequent and more forceful? Galit Goldfarb, the founder
of The Guerrilla Diet & Lifestyle Program, says there
are! She’ll explain how human behavior is bringing on
such catastrophes and how a few simple changes to
lifestyle and eating habits can have significant
influence on the weather and our planet. Goldfarb says,
“It’s incredible how small changes can have a major
impact on the world around us. Galit Goldfarb started
The Guerrilla Diet Bootcamp in 2015 with the mission of
making education-based healing available around the
globe in an affordable, efficient and engaging way.
Today, her company helps people from all walks of life
learn and understand the best way to move towards a
healthier lifestyle not only for themselves but also
for our planet. Contact Galit Goldfarb at
galit@galitgoldfarb.com
12. ==> Are We Raising Mass Murderers?
In the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Stephen
Paddock’s brother Eric speculated, “something went
wrong in his head.” But what precisely was it? Paddock
reportedly was prescribed anti-anxiety medication this
summer, and though it’s unclear why or if he was taking
them at the time of the shooting, Emily Slingluff says
it’s worth noting. “Who takes psychiatric drugs? People
who are depressed and unhappy. Happy people do not want
to commit mass murders.” Whether lawmakers pass
stricter gun laws or not, Slingluff says another way to
attack the problem is to teach better parenting skills.
“The formative years are called that because they’re
formative. Parents are the main influence, directly or
indirectly, on their kids and play a huge role in
whether children grow up depressed or happy with life.”
Emily Slingluff is the author of “Peace”, “Parenting
without Punishment” and “A Present to the Newborn.”
Contact her at (757) 428-6167; emilyslingluff@aol.com
13. ==> How to Survive a Mean Teacher
Teaching, according to multiple lists, is one of the
top 20 stressful jobs available and is often ranked in
the top five of the worst careers in America! The
stress of dealing with children, the constant scrutiny
of parents and administrators, and pressure for
improved scores weigh heavily on the shoulders of both
beginning and veteran teachers. For some, the result is
an attitude and teaching personality that leaves
students and their parents cold, afraid, and dreading
the year ahead. Dee Rodgers, an educational veteran of
more than 30 years, can discuss ways parents and their
children can survive the classrooms of negative
teachers. Rodgers spent 27 years in the classroom and
served another four as a campus administrator. She is
currently employed as a Special Education Teacher in
Texas and is the author of “Renew Your Teaching Spirit:
Help for Teachers Struggling to Stay in the Classroom.”
Contact her at (979) 665-7590; dee@deerodg.com
14. ==> After DACA, He Wants to Inspire Dreamers
Now that the Trump administration says it will do away
with the DACA program, many immigrants who came to
American illegally with their parents are in jeopardy
of deportation—including hundreds of thousands who live
in the Houston area who are also coping with Hurricane
Harvey’s devastation. Wanny Huynh whose own parents
emigrated from Vietnam 34 years ago when he was 8,
wants to give them hope using his own life story and
the lessons he learned as fodder. He’ll tell your
listeners that when his parents attempted to flee
Vietnam for Cambodia, he and his 10-year-old brother
were separated from the family by the Khmer Rouge.
During that two-month separation, he and his brother
wandered around looking for their mother before being
taken in by a soldier whose wife treated them like
child slaves. Wanny will share his parents’ journey to
America as well as how at 32 he ended up broke and
homeless after the real estate crash before studying
other successful people and pulling himself back to
independence. Wanny’s latest book is “Hope: The Path to
Happiness, Opportunity, Prosperity and Enjoyment.”
During the month of September, he is donating all
profits from its sale to Hurricane Harvey relief
efforts. Reach him at (651) 398-4677 or
Wannyh27@msn.com
15. ==> Take an International Us vs. Them Quiz
You probably don’t realize it but as an American, you
are automatically doing some things that people in
other countries will find odd. You’ll find out what
they are—and get some laughs—when author Susanna
Janssen takes a more lighthearted approach to Us vs.
Them traveling style. For example, will your listeners
know which two countries besides the U.S. do not use
the metric system? Or how the rest of the world writes
the month, day and year and why getting this wrong on
your way to Cuba could cost you $100? Do you know why
many foreigners think Americans don’t know how to use a
knife and fork? Susanna will have you saying vive la
difference. She is a newspaper columnist and the author
of “Wordstruck!: The Fun and Fascination of Language.”
Reach her at (707) 272 1351 or sjanssen106@gmail.com