19 April 2008 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

 

Martina McBride Concert in Jacksonville, Florida

Out of the three concerts:  Shania Twain Concert in 2004, Sharon Cuneta Concert in 2005 and  Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Concert in 2006 that I went to, I had to break a leg to get the  ticket but last Friday, I can't believe my luck when one of our Chief's at work offered me 4 free tickets to Martina McBride concert at 7:30PM, April 19, 2008  at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena!! Since DH detests the crowd, I am tugging along with me my brother-in-law, Kuya Allen and two of my Pinay friends, Janice and Virgie. I am a big fan of country music and so is DH but he'd rather stay home to have a quiet moment than join the thunderous crowd.

Got to go!!

Update on Martina McBride Concert

I will just post some photos and video1, video2 for your viewing pleasure.  

Francine King of Times Union summed up Martina McBride's performance at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena last April 19, 2008.  "As one of her songs professes, Martina McBride has been blessed — with a set of vocal chords other professional singers would die to have.  Her powers were on full display Saturday night... read more

Here's the link to Martina McBride photo album at the Jacksonville.com.   Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend :-)

 

 

    1 April 2008 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

Buddy Check 12

April is cancer control month.  Fifteen years ago, First Coast News' Jeannie Blaylock partnered with Baptist Health to create Buddy Check 12--designed to promote monthly breast self-examinations and to educate women on the importance of early detection.

To date, more than 757,000 people in Jacksonville have requested Buddy Check 12 packets. In fact, we now have Buddy programs in 39 cities across the United States. Here’s the best part, more than 260 local women say Buddy Check 12 saved their lives.

It is as simple as 1-2-3:

Step 1: Call the Buddy Check 12 Hot Line at Baptist Health (904) 202-CARE (2273) and they will mail you the Buddy Check 12 kits with stickers for FREE.

Step 2: Get a buddy, someone you care about, your mother, aunt, friend, co-worker, etc. and put the reminder stickers on the 12th day of each month.

Step 3: On Buddy Check 12 day — the 12th of every month — do your self-exam and remind your buddy. If you find a lump, call your doctor right away.

SO LADIES... ARE YOU CHECKING? Remember it's a tremendous advantage to catch cancer early. It can save you and your family a lot of agony.   My mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor for 30+ years!!!! And to think there were only very limited treatment options available back then.  Everyone knows if you detect breast cancer early, your odds of beating it are better than 90 percent so it does make sense to do self exams regularly.

New discoveries help you tip cancer odds in your favor

Almost every minute of every day one American dies from cancer, according to President Bush's Roundtable on Advances in Cancer Prevention 2007.   One of those minutes could be yours, but how you live can make a difference.

Skin cancer is the most common type for both men and women. As you spend more time outdoors, keep that in mind and wear sunscreen.

The next most common type for men is prostate cancer. Smoking and a diet high in fat appear to be factors. Recent studies by the University of Pittsburgh and elsewhere show that eating more fruits and vegetables, particularly broccoli, is protective.

For women, breast cancer is the second most common type. Regular exercise and a healthy, low-fat diet helps to prevent it. And one Harvard study of younger women showed they were 35 percent less likely to get breast cancer if they took supplements containing at least 548 IU of vitamin D each day.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. Smoking is the most common cause.

Need we say more? Interesting new studies on diet and cancer prevention include one by UCLA showing that drinking coffee has a protective effect against colon, rectal, and liver cancer.

Another study shows that eating just three servings per month of raw cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower) can reduce bladder cancer risk by about 40 percent. About 70 percent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV. If young women were vaccinated against the virus, the current number of deaths per year would be greatly reduced.

People who have gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) can decrease their risk for esophageal cancer by decreasing their body mass index. If the esophagus is already precancerous, eating freeze-dried blackberries for 26 weeks (32 grams a day for women, 45 grams for men) can help. No other treatment has eliminated the risk for esophageal cancer. This study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference, December 2007.

For most of us, a healthy diet and weight, avoiding the sun, and quitting cigarettes, plus getting some exercise, will take us a long way toward cancer prevention.
 

Sources:  First Coast News
                Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Newsletter