2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

The St. Johns bridge is not only a beautiful piece of artwork in itself, but it is also a frame for the natural artwork around us. As you drive over it into St. Johns, the arch on the bridge perfectly frames one of our beautiful mountains, with Mt Hood to the right and another mountain just to the left. I love coming home over our bridge on sunny clear days!

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
view in context

Mentoring can be a great way to keep families together as it can give children a listening ear and wise friend and role model before the family falls apart.  I work for 4Results Mentoring Program in Vancouver and our program specifically serves kids in mental health services.  All of our kids are living in poverty and oftentimes, parents also have mental health issues.  A mentor can give the one on one attention and emotional support that a parent may not be able to give and sometimes that can be the interruption in a cycle of misbehavior and frustration that a family needs to keep itself together.  The main thing to remember if you decide to get involved in a mentoring program - whether as a mentor or a family looking for services - is that you find one that offers extensive training and has a good record of keeping mentors long-term as studies have shown that it would be better for a child to never have a mentor than to have a mentor that doesn't follow through with their commitment. 

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
view in context

I have a family history of breast cancer so when my doctor found a lump, she sent me in for my first mammogram at age 23.  First they did an ultrasound on the lump and, even though the technician said it was nothing to be concerned about, she sent me in for a mammogram and also did a needle biopsy on the lump "just to be sure." 

Since then, I have heard (from someone who practices Chinese medicine) that mammograms can cause as much cancer as it finds (because of the radiation) and that often it finds tiny bits of cancer that our bodies could naturally weed out, but removing this tiny cancer medically is like using a backhoe to pull a tiny weed out of your yard. 

What I don't understand is why the study recommends that women don't do self exams.  What is the harm in that?

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
view in context