This has been an excellent week for our country to showcase to the world our diversity. Our country was built on one big melting pot. Yet we know the melting pot is not always open and inclusive to everyone. The melting pot has often times excluded minorities, women, gays and lesbians from reaching the top of the pot. Yet, some major strides were made this week. President Obama nominated Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden, Jr., a retired space shuttle astronaut, as the first African-American to head NASA. If approved by the Senate, he will take over NASA and lead us to another dimension in our space exploration. Ursula Burns, new CEO of Xerox, became the first African-American woman to head a Fortune 500 corporation. Benita Mosely Fitzgerald, a former Olympic gold medalist, becomes the first African-American named as USA Track and Field's first Chief of Sports Performance. And then came more good news. President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first … [Read more...] about Dedicated to Diversity
Archives for May 2009
Is Cheerios a Cereal or a Drug?
The law is sometimes funnier than fiction. Recently, I blogged that the FDA needs to change its current regulations on over the counter diet pills and products due to Hydroxycut causing liver damage. The FDA should include regulation of over the counter diet pills before they reach store shelves and harm consumers. Then I read the FDA is going after our breakfast cereals for false and deceptive advertising and labeling one as a drug. Is Cheerios and Frosted Mini-Wheats really going to harm or kill anyone? Cheerios has been claiming on TV commercials that it can lower your cholestral by 4% in six weeks. Well now the FDA has informed General Mills, maker of Cheerios, that these claims makes it a drug under federal law. Who but the FDA would classify Cheerios as a drug based on these claims? Yet, Cheerios is not the only cereal the FDA has investigated recently. Frosted Mini-Wheats previously claimed it could improve kids attentiveness by nearly 20%. I guess all the … [Read more...] about Is Cheerios a Cereal or a Drug?
Change is Coming to the Supremes
The Supremes are about to change. I listened to the announcement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as Supreme Court Justice Nominee to replace Justice Souter with eyes filled with tears. Judge Sotomayor, of course, has sterling credentials in the law, a vigorous intellect and the judicial ability to apply the law to the facts. President Obama says her life’s experience is an equally important and necessary quality. Is life experience a necessary component for a Supreme Court Justice? Is having the “common touch” really a necessary ingredient to apply the law to the facts in a case before the Supreme Court? I know the Republican Senators will probably disagree with President Obama’s emphasis on her life’s experience. Yet, any challenge of her, as the first historic Hispanic Supreme Court Justice nominee by Republicans will be problematic. Her inspiring life’s story could make for a Hollywood movie. Her parents moved from Puerto Rico to the United States. Her father, a factory … [Read more...] about Change is Coming to the Supremes
Chatterbox Cheney
Back in the day, if you talked too much, you were called a chatterbox. Dick Cheney has now become a chatterbox. In a historic duel speech on May 22 Cheney was pitted against President Obama. Cheney, once known as the quiet one behind the scenes, has now become front and center. Mr. Cheney remained closed lips while he was vice president. He allowed George W. Bush to make all the speaking blunders. Now that he's no longer vice president, he appears to be making up for lost time. He has now found his voice. Yesterday's speech duel between Cheney and President Obama struck me as odd for several reasons. First, when has a former vice president ever done such a thing? Historians say it's never happened before. I know President Obama expressed no concern about Cheney's speech. Dialogue is a good thing. Yet, I wondered what Cheney was up to with such a forceful attack on the President in a duel speech. Is Cheney planning to head the Republican National Committee and … [Read more...] about Chatterbox Cheney
Busting Through The Glass Ceiling
On May 22 Ursula Burns shattered the glass ceiling at every Fortune 500 company. She became the first African American female to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company at Xerox Corporation. Rising from the ranks at Xerox, she takes over the reins from another woman. She is eager to move the company forward and break a little glass in the process. Another African American woman also broke some glass this week. Benita Fitzgerald Mosely became the first USA Track and Field Chief of Sport Performance. She is the current CEO of Women in Cable Communications. Fitzgerald Mosely, a former Olympic gold medalist and critic of USA Track and Field performance during the 2008 Olympic games, was a member of an independent panel reviewing USA Track and Field performance. Remember the 2008 Olympic mens and womens relay dropped baton debacle, drug issues and disorganized coaching. Fitzgerald Mosely will demand higher standards. These women were not selected because of their gender … [Read more...] about Busting Through The Glass Ceiling
FDA and Hydroxycut Diet Pill Debacle
Recently the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of Hydroxycut diet pills and products due to liver problems associated with them. When is the FDA going to change and start regulating over the counter diet products before they hit the stores? The first wrongful death Hydroxycut case stems from the February, 2007 death of Dennis Lopez. He died from liver failure after taking Hydroxycut for 2 months in 2006. How many more people will die before the FDA changes and scrutinzes these products before they reach our store shelves? The over the counter diet product industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and steadily growing more as our waistlines grow. Their revenues are hardly shrinking in these tough times. Neither is our weight or body fat. The shelves of almost every drug store, pharmacy, grocery, health food and fitness stores are lined with diet pills and products claiming to rid us of our excess weight and burn all our fat off … [Read more...] about FDA and Hydroxycut Diet Pill Debacle