Perspectives

Sunday 6:00 am and Midnight

4/27/08
Atlanta Tornado Recovery Update Small Business Association Loan Application Period closes on May 19, 2008.

Few stories are as compelling as the ones that emerge in the aftermath of a big disaster. And in the same way that recovery occurs in stages, the reporting of the disaster story after the main even changes in the days that follow.

A disaster often occurs in the course of a few hours, or in the example of the tornado which tore through downtown Atlanta on March 14th, in a matter of a few minutes. The elements of the disaster story change frequently from event to aftermath to recovery to rebuilding.

People typically learn about the Small Business Administration's role in disaster recovery after they've made a phone call to FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Often the first question is why does SBA make disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses.

Disaster assistance has been part of the SBA mission since 1953. Long-term recovery is in the form of low interest loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations following a disaster. The cap on loans to homeowners is $200,000.

The SBA makes Business Physical Disaster loans available for businesses of all sizes to cover the cost of repairing or replacing damaged or destroyed real estate, inventory, supplies, machinery, and equipment. Businesses and private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private schools, etc. may borrow up to 1.5 million.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans are loans for working capital available only to small businesses and small agricultural cooperatives to help them to cover normal operating expenses through the disaster recovery period.

For more information about the SBA Disaster Recovery Program, please visit the Small Business Administration website.

4/13/08
Atlanta Women's Foundation April 16 Summit on Women and Girls

In the midst of an emerging economic recession, The Atlanta Women's Foundation (AWF) Georgia's only public foundation focused exclusively on the needs of women and girls, examines the economic outlook for Georgia's women in its recent study, "The Economic Status of Women in Georgia."

Produced in partnership with the Institute for Women's Policy Research the study's findings review a set of indicators of women's employment and earnings and compare their status to that of women in other states. According to the study, Georgia women fare well in some areas such as women in managerial and professional occupations and women's own businesses.

However, the study also found that the earnings ratio between men and women of color is dismal, and Georgia ranks poorly on women's labor force participation, health insurance coverage, and poverty.

To address these issues and empower metro Atlanta women toward economic self-sufficiency, AWF will hold its first Summit on Women and Girls on April 16 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The summit will give thousands of women a day of interactive workshops and enriching discussions on topics including the real cost of living for women and girls in Atlanta.

Summit Speakers will include Lee Woodruff of ABC and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Maryland's first female Lt. Governor. Registration for the full day is $245. Half-day registration for the morning plus lunch or the afternoon and evening program is $150. To attend the evening program only, the cost is $100. A portion of your ticket price is tax deductible.

4/06/08
Guests on this week's program are two physicians associated with the WellStar Health System. We begin with a conversation about how you look to the radiologist.

Our first guest is Dr. Allen Zuckerman with Quantum Radiology, a medical partner with WellStar Health System. Our conversation focuses on the many advances in medical imaging. Technology has come a long way from the x-ray.

Our second guest on the program is Dr. Arthur Reitman, an interventional cardiologist with Cardiovascular Medicine, another medical partner to the WellStar Health System.

Eleven thousand professionals make up the WellStar Health System working daily to meet the health demands and needs of the community. To deliver world class health care, WellStar equips facilities and employees with the best technology, resources, and education.

For more than 50 years and three generations, WellStar has grown to a network securing grants and partnerships for research, training, and development. WellStar has received accolades by some of the health care's top organizations including the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

For more information about WellStar Health System and their medical partners, please visit the WellStar Health System website.

Perspectives

Sunday 6:00 am and Midnight

12/02/07
Home Security

It is the season for giving, and it is also the season for taking away. Just as we abound around time filled with holiday spirit, there are people watching us trying to figure out not only how to take the gifts we are buying for ourselves and others, but also how to take the valuables we have in our homes.

So on the program this week we focus on home security. Our guest is Jim Callahan, Vice President with Ackerman Security Systems.

Also, because the temperature has finally cooled Callahan discuses fire safety including permanent fire escape ladders and talking smoke detectors which allow parents to record a message directly for their children. Studies show that a child will wake to the sound of a parents voice before he or she will wake to the wailing of a smoke detector.

Ackerman Security Systems delivers to its 40,000 metro Atlanta customers more than just a sense of security. Ackerman is locally owned and operated and their monitoring station is UL certified and in Atlanta, unlike other providers.

Topics discussed include the questions a homeowner should ask when searching for a home security vendor such as the value of leasing or owning equipment, contracts, location of monitoring stations, common home security mistakes people make.

For more information about Home Security, please visit the Ackerman Security website..

9/17/07
ScreamFree Parenting

Have you ever just wanted to tell somebody who was obviously having a stress-filled day to just "chill out?" Wouldn't it be nice if we could get through the day with much less anxiety than many of us do now?

Well, Award-winning author and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Hal Runkel is devoting his life to teaching the world how to live in a "scream free" environment one person at a time.

Hal Runkel is quickly becoming America's greatest expert on human relationships. He is the man who has developed the revolutionary ScreamFree Living methodology.

You may be familiar with Hal Runkel. This published author is seen by millions on iVillage Live (NBC) and the CW's nationally syndicated The Daily Buzz.

He is the founder and president of ScreamFree Living, Inc., as well as the voice behind the groundbreaking ScreamFree Living book series.

For more information about ScreamFree Parenting please visit the ScreamFree Parenting website.

8/5/07
Southern Christian Leadership Conference at 50

Deric Gilliard is an Atlanta native who grew up during the civil rights movement, experienced Jim Crow laws with his parents as they traveled throughout the South and grew up to work as a journalist and later for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.



While working at the SCLC, at that time the nation's foremost grass-roots civil rights organization, Gilliard was afforded the opportunity to work with and to get to know many of the legends of the movement in cluding Rev. Andrew Young, Rev. Jesse Jackson, the late Rosa Parks, Dick Gregory and many others.

It was during this time that Gilliard realized that there were many "heroes and she-roes" as he calls them who had dedicated their entire lives to working for the rights that many blacks enjoy today and often take for granted. He believed that too few of their beneficiaries knew their names.

His book tells the stories of 20 men and women, some of whose names may be familiar to readers and students of civil rights history, and others which will not be familiar to anyone. This does not diminish their contribution to the Movement. They were and are Dr. Martin Luther King's "unknown ground crew." As the SCLC celebrates its 50th Anniversary in Atlanta August 3 - 8, Deric Gilliard shares about the unsung foot soldiers of the Movement.

For more information about the SCLC, please visit the SCLC website. Here is where you can read more about Deric Gilliard.

6/24/07
Meet Fred Blankenship Channel 2 Action News This Morning and Noon News Anchor

Fred Blankenship is the newest member of the Channel 2 Action News team, and the program this week is essentially hear Fred before you see Fred. Blankenship joins Pam Martin and Karen Minton on Channel 2 Action News This Morning and Channel 2 Action News at Noon beginning Monday, June 25.

Blankenship most recently worked for KGTV in San Diego. Before that he worked at KRON in San Francisco and KAKE in Wichita, Kansas. He has roots in New Orleans and while reporting in San Diego returned to the Crecent City to tell the story of relatives impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Blankenship says when he was 12 he saw a man on television who looked like him. From that moment forward, he knew that he could help others and make a positive impact in his community by telling stories on television. A trainee program landed him his first job in Wichita, Kansas.

For more information about Fred Blankenship and Channel 2 Action News, please visit the Channel 2 website.

6/17/07
I Got Your Back by Eddie Levert, Sr., and Gerald Levert with Lyah Beth LeFlore

I Got Your Back is the final collaboration from Eddie and Gerald Levert: an intimate glimpse into their lives, their passions, and their musical legacy. On Perspectives this Father's Day 2007, we talk with the legendary R-and-B singer Eddie Levert and Lyah Beth LeFlore, the friend and writer who collaborated with Levert and his late son Gerald on this memoir.

I Got Your Back gets inside the special and rare father-son bond that these two R& B legends shared. Eddie and Gerald put their hearts and souls on the line and talk about their failures, concerns, fears, and triumphs as father and son.

With a powerful message of reconciliation for broken families, Eddie and Gerald explore the themes of fatherhood, male bonding and male-female relationships. The book includes moving tributes from Eddie, Patti LaBelle, Steve Harvey and others, as well as treasured family photographs.

For more information about I Got Your Back, please visit the website for the book.

6/10/07
Celebrating Father's Day

Father's Day is Sunday, June 17th. On Thursday, June 14th, five prominent fathers from metro Atlanta will be honored as "Father of the Year" during the 2007 Father of the Year Awards Dinner at The Fabulous Fox Theatre.

This is the fourth year the Atlanta Father's Day Council has selected five business leaders to receive this recognition for their exemplary commitment to their families, community involvement, and ability to achieve that "work | life balance."

The dinner at the Fox is a benefit for the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes is a serious life threatening an dincurable disease that affects nearly 21 million children and adults. More than one third of those with diabetes go undiagnosed.

The 2007 honorees are Harold A. Dawson, Jr., President and CEO of The Dawson Company; Charles F. Easley, Sr., Vice-Moderator, 215th General Assembly, Presbyterian Church USA; Emory Morsberger, CEO, Morsberger Group, Miles P. Whitlock, President, DFW - Display Fixture Warehouse and our guest, Larry Lawson, EVP and F22 General Manager, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.

For more information about the American Diabetes Association and the Father of the Year Awards Dinner, please visit and learn more about the event.

Father's Day will also be the 18th Anniversary of Real Men Cook for Charity, and professional chef coordinator Glenn deCruz drops by to talk about this year's event and how his diabetes diagnosis changed his entire approach to diet.

Real Men Cook for charity 2007 will be Sunday, June 17th at a new location The Foundry at Puritan Mill near King Plow Arts Center at 916 Lowery Boulevard. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. Tickets are $25 at the door.

Real Men Cook For Charity Atlanta is the fun-filled, food tasting family event and will feature Chef Marvin Woods formerly of Turner South, Kyle Massey of Disney's "Cory In The House" and "That's So Raven", his brother Chris Massey of Nickelodeon's Zoey 101.

Highlights include more than 100 men including athletes and celebrities, 20 caterers and 10 restaurants serving prepared dishes from appetizers to main courses and desserts to ribs on the grill.

Entertainment includes face painting clowns and balloons for the kids and performances by R & B smooth crooner Heston, Lil G formerly of Silk and gospel singers. Partial proceeds benefit The Giving Tree Adoption Agency, The Lupus Foundation of America Georgia Chapter, Grass Roots Institute Cultural Arts Program and Real Men Charities.

Tickets are available at Ear Wax Records, Berean Christian Store, The Giving Tree office, Nubian Bookstore, select State Farm Insurance agents and online. You can also call 404-344-8496.

For more information or to order tickets please visit the Real Men Cook website.

5/27/07
African American History for Dummies by Ronda Racha Penrice

Many people think Celebrating African American History just takes place in February, but there are key events to be celebrated all year long. In fact, Queen Elizabeth visited the US in May to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, VA.

We can learn more about the history of African Americans and gain a better understanding of this rich culture in the newly published, first edition of African American History for Dummies (Wiley; April 2007; 432 pages by freelance writer and African American history enthusiast Ronda Racha Penrice.

African American History for Dummies offers information from both an academic and a cultural perspective on the people, places and events that have shaped the African American experience and impacted our country's past, present and future. The book spans Africa prior to the slave trade to Hurricane Katrina.

Like all For Dummies books, African American History for Dummies concludes with "Part of Tens" including 'Ten African American Firsts,' which spans fields like law and medicine as well as fashion and exploration, 'Ten African American Literary Classics' and 'Ten Influential African American Artists.

The handy 'cheat sheet' provides key dates in African American history, contact information for African American Cultural Instituteiosn like teh Rosa Parks Library and Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum and more.

Ronda Racha Penrice is a writer and African American history enthusiast. She has a B.A. in English and History from Columbia University. She attended the M.A. program in Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi where she worked on cultural tourism projects and has also worked as a film publicist in Los Angeles.

For more information about this book or Ronda Racha Penrice please visit the website for the book.

5/20/07
Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny by Hill Harper

Offering inspirational advice in a down-to-earth style, this unique compilation of letters provides wisdom, guidance, and heartfelt insight to help the reader chart their own path to success.

Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny is based on Hill Harper's motivational speaking at inner-city schools across the country. The letters in his book deal with the tough issues that face young people today.

Bombarded with messages from music and the media, Harper set out to dispel the stereotypical image of success that young people receive today and instead emphasizes alternative views of what it truly means to be a successful male, such as educational and community achievements and self-respect.

Harper's intention is to provide this frequently regarded "lost generation" of young men with words of encouragement and guidance. It was his deep-rooted passion regarding the plight of today's youth drove him to write this book, sure to change the lives of readers for years to come.

Hill Harper is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor who currently stars in the hit CBS drama Series, CSI-NY. He is a volunteer for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization in Los Angeles and often speaks to young people in public schools on the value of education.

Harper knows much about the value of education. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and cum laude with a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Senator Barack Obama was a classmate and is a friend of Harper's for 17 years. Harper also holds a masters in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government.

For more information about this book or Hill Harper please visit the website for the book.

5/13/07
Good Enough Mother: The Perfectly Imperfect Book of Parenting

Some of you may remember Rene Syler as an anchor on the Early Show on CBS. Others of you may remember seeing her on Oprah recently and we will talk about that. What Rene wants you to know about first is – Good Enough Mother – the Perfectly Imperfect Book of Parenting ... a book written with equal doses of real wisdom, honesty, humor and warmth. Good Enough Mother will have all moms listening laughing in recognition and breathing a sigh of relief that you are not alone when it comes to perfectly imperfect parenting.

Rene Syler has most recently been an anchor of CBS News's The Early Show. She is a journalist and an author. She is married to Buff Parham with whom she has two children.

Good Enough Mother is available online and in stores now. For more information or to contact Rene Syler, listeners may visit Rene' Syler's website.

5/06/07
Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas

Clarence Thomas is arguably the most powerful, detested, and misunderstood African American in public life. He became a household name across America during his Senate confirmation hearings with the "he said, she said" sexual harassment charges brought by Anita Hill. Despite all of the coverage of Thomas, he remains an enigma to this day.

In Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas, Washington Post reporters Kevin Merida and Michael A. Fletcher give us the difinitive biography, both empathetic and disturbing, of the most controversial justice on the Supreme Court.

The authors track Thomas from his poor childhood in Pin Point and Savannah, Georgia to his educational experience in a Catholic seminary and Holy Cross, to his law school years at Yale during the black power era, to his rise within the Republican political establishment.

Thomas's staunchly conservative positions on crime, abortion, and especially, affirmative action have exposed him to charges of heartlessness and hypocrisy, in that he is himself the product of a broken home who manifestly benefited from racially conscious admissions policies.

The book is well researched and reported. Work began in 2001 for a Washington Post magazine article. The book features testimony from friends and foes alike many of whom have never spoken in public about Justice Thomas - including a series of candid conversations with fellow justice and ideological ally, Antonin Scalia, as well as an interview with former President George H. W. Bush.

For more information about this book, Kevin Merida or Michael Fletcher please visit the website for the book.

4/29/07
The Beat of Urban Art: BUA

For over a decade, artist BUA has been making a mark on popular culture with his unique style of Distorted Urban Realism, single-handedly spearheading a new genre of art. Born and raised by a single-mom in NYC's untamed Upper West Side, BUA was fascinated by the raw, visceral Manhattan street life and found himself absorbing the essence of the burgeoning culture at places like Rock Steady Park and the Douglas Projects.

BUA studied visual art at the High School of Music and Performing Arts ("Fame") and complemented his education on the streets by writing graffiti and performing worldwide with breakdancing crews such as The New York Express and The Dynamic Breakers. At 16, BUA performed with The New York Express in a show created by famous choreographer Julie Arenal ("Hair"). The show toured all over the world including the Spoleto Festivals in Charleston, South Carolina and Spoleto, Italy where he performed with Rudolf Nureyev. After high school, BUA went on to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California where he earned a B.F.A in Illustration. There, BUA learned the technical skills that allowed him to unleash his creativity.

BUA started his career doing slick bottom paintings for the skateboard industry. He came out with a line of fine art posters and quickly made his way into the commercial freelance world. He created numerous CD covers for companies such as Warner Bros., Atlantic Records, Sony Music and BMG Music, as well as advertising work for clients like Weiden and Kennedy and The Nike Corporation. In 1999, BUA animated the opening title sequence for MTV's "The Lyricist Lounge Show". Then, in a process that took over two years, BUA conceived, created and wrote "Urbania", an animation series for Comedy Central.

BUA went on to develop the characters and backgrounds for the EA Sports video game, "NBA Street." He then created the world for Slum Village's award winning music video, "Tainted". BUA recently teamed up with EA Sports again as the visual consultant for their new best-selling game, "NFL Street". BUA's latest collaboration with PF Flyers brought art onto the streets with his limited edition shoe line released in May 2004. The shoe line sold out within hours of its release and BUA will release his second shoe line and his first apparel line in 2005. BUA's book, tentatively entitled BUA: The Beat of Urban Art is currently in production. BUA also teaches Figure Drawing in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Southern California (USC).

Hip-Hop has clearly become one of the most prevalent cultural movements of our ear as it permeates all facets of global culture from media, music, and fashion to the language we use. BUA's understanding of the origin and evolution of Hip-Hop makes him the urban art icon he has become. As Crazy Legs says: "BUA's art is representative of today's ethnically diverse urban culture. He has a complete grasp of all the elements of Hip-Hop and the inner feeling of its music. BUA truly represents the Hip-Hop movement: the most popular culture of our era."

BUA's audience is a diverse group that ranges from street kids to former US Presidents, graffiti writers to fine art connoisseurs, rap fans to jazz aficionados. His line of poster is a best-seller in the US and Canadian college markets.

For more information about Justin BUA and his art please visit Website.

4/22/07
Good Enough Mother: The Perfectly Imperfect Book of Parenting

Some of you may remember Rene Syler as an anchor on the Early Show on CBS. Others of you may remember seeing her on Oprah recently and we will talk about that. What Rene wants you to know about first is – Good Enough Mother – the Perfectly Imperfect Book of Parenting ... a book written with equal doses of real wisdom, honesty, humor and warmth. Good Enough Mother will have all moms listening laughing in recognition and breathing a sigh of relief that you are not alone when it comes to perfectly imperfect parenting.

Rene Syler has most recently been an anchor of CBS News's The Early Show. She is a journalist and an author. She is married to Buff Parham with whom she has two children.

Good Enough Mother is available online and in stores now. For more information or to contact Rene Syler, listeners may visit Rene' Syler's website.

4/15/07
Not In My Family: AIDS in the African American Community

Much has been made of the statistics surrounding African Americans and HIV/AIDS; however, somehow the human face of this disease still eludes our community. Like many situations confronting the African American community, dialogue about this disease has failed to include meaningful communication with those directly involved.

Not in My Family began as an opportunity for entertainment journalist and author Gil Robertson and his brother to share their family's experiences in living with him through his journey with HIV/AIDS, however, it soon evolved into a vehicle that explores a wide cross-section of ideas, values and beliefs.

Many of the contributors to this book are famous, but most are not, however, with every essay they all demonstrate their commitment to the community; offering invaluable insights on the joys, pains, triumphs, fears and love that people living with HIV/AIDS and their families deal with everyday.

Not in My Family is a patchwork of essays that forms a quilt of expressions by individuals who have chosen to come out of the shadows to bare their fears, isolation and pain of living in the age of AIDS.

For more information, listeners may visit the Not In My Family website.

4/08/07
Georgia Lottery: President and CEO Margaret DeFrancisco

Margaret DeFrancisco, President and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, joins us to talk about the HOPE Scholarship Program, Georgia's Pre-Kindergarten programs and the state's first Mega Millions Jackpot winner.

The Georgia Lottery has posted record-breaking sales and proceeds to education for the first half of fiscal year 2007 surpassing all previous records. All Georgia Lottery dollars raised benefit lottery-funded Hope-Scholarships and Pre-K programs.

The Lottery recently marked the milestone of one million HOPE recipients. The celebration at Georgia State University featured former Governor Zell Miller and Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.

The Georgia Lottery has teamed up with the Atlanta Braves to launch a new Braves instant game offering four top prizes of $250,000 and over $21 million in total cash prizes. Additionally, Braves game lottery players can win 2008 Atlanta Braves season tickets, Atlanta Braves game day experiences, suite nights at Turner Field and Major League Baseball merchandise prize packages.

The Georgia Lottery recently opened two kiosks at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In just four months of operations, lottery sales at the airport have reached approximately $2 million dollars. The kiosks rank as one of the top performing Georgia Lottery retailers in the state.

For more information about the Georgia Lottery please visit the Georgia Lottery's website.

3/25/07
A Conversation with Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is one of America's foremost public intellectuals, and when it comes to the topic of race, there is no one better qualified to debate the issue than him.

In his latest book, Debating Race, Dyson touches on every major race related moment in America in the last 15 years through dialogue with some of the most visible figures working in politics and the media today.

The discussions in Debating Race are as vibrant and volatile as ever, and recent headlines like the fatal shooting of briedgroom Sam Bell on the eve of his wedding in New York, the Duke Lacrosse Team scandal, the controversy over immigration - especially as it relates to America's growing Latino population, and Barack Obama's bid for the presidency continue to prove that race plays a central role in today's news.

Covering an array of subjects from immigration to interracial relations; from civil rights and the future of the black middle class to an examination of black masculinity, Debating Race is a fascinating look at race in america today. Debating Race illustrates how Dyson is as eloquent off the cuff as he is on the page and this book gives you a front row seat as he spars with politicans, pundits, and public intellectuals. He includes a debate he had with conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who also blurbs (comments) on his book.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is a University of Pennsylvania professor and one of the nation's foremost public intellectuals. He has been named by Ebony Magazine as one of the 100 most influential black Americans, and is the author of 14 books including Come Hell or High Water. He lives in Philadelphia.

For more information about Dr. Michael Eric Dyson please visit Michael Eric Dyson's website.

3/18/07
Celebrating Women's History
The Women's Employment Opportunity Project and Mother's Voices Georgia are teaming up to celebrate Women's History Month at the inagural From A Woman's Perspective symposium. More than 500 women and men are expected to attend the event on Friday, March 30, 2007, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Atlanta Technical College, Dennard Conference Center, 1560 Metropolitan Parkway, SW, Atlanta, GA.

The symposium features a morning panel discussion, luncheon and afternoon sessions with industry experts speaking on the hottest topics for contract opportunities, franchising, social entrepreneurship and personal success strategies. Interviews with women will be filmed throughout the day to capture perspectives for feature in an upcoming television documentary.

Actress Cee Cee Micheala, best known for her zany character of Yvonne, the police officer and Williams's fiancé on the hit comedy television series "Girlfriends", will ignite the audience with a captivating message as the keynote speaker. Ms. Micheala is founder of Pop The Trunk Publishing and GodzGirl Network, a non profit organization in Atlanta. Michaela is an entrepreneur, author, singer/song writer and will co-star in the upcoming comedy movie, "Hair Show."

Ms. M. Alexis Scott, Atlanta Daily World and Dr. Terrence Vandiver will speak during the opening session. The morning panel discussion will focus on women's issues and feature prominent local leaders: Dr. Lesa Walden-Young, Georgia Division of Public Health; Cindy Hounsell, Women's Institute for Secure Retirement (WISER); Commissioner Connie Stokes, Dekalb County Commissioner; Marva Bryan, Development Authority of Fulton County and Dr. Brenda Watts Jones, President, Atlanta Technical College. Yolanda Ball, Director, Flavor Brands, The Coca Cola Company will also present a special interactive session on branding and marketing.

This powerful symposium is the result of a partnership with two non profit organizations, The Women's Employment Opportunity Project, Inc. (WEOP) and Mothers' Voices Georgia, working collectively on projects that create awareness for women's issues and to advance the socio-economic status of women.

Other program partners include the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), the Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, the Golden Eagle Leadership Institute, and BostonReid, Inc. Sponsorship provided by: The Women's Institute for Secure Retirement (WISER) and KPMG. Media Sponsor: Atlanta Daily World.

For registration information contact: 404.765.0922 or visit http://www.weop.org.

3/11/07
AIDS Memorial Quilt

Atlanta is now home to the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the Names Project. The mission of the Names Project Foundation is to preserve, care for, and use the AIDS Memorial Quilt to foster healing, heighten awareness, and inspire action in the struggle against HIV and AIDS.

The Goals of The AIDS Memorial Quilt are to provide a creative means for remembrance and healing, effectively illustrate the enormity of the AIDS pandemic, increase awareness of HIV and AIDS throughout the general public, assist others with HIV infection prevention education, and to raise funds for community-based AIDS Service Organizations (ASO's).

People still tend to think of AIDS as a disease affecting only gay white males when the fact is that 51-percent of all new AIDS cases are diagnosed in the African-American community. The black community has been very silent on this fact, and the Foundation is calling on the black community to step up and to place a face on the people lost to AIDS.

The call to action is to encourage more people to add panels to the quilt. There are less than 300 panels representing blacks on a quilt of more than 48,000 panels.

Guests on this week's Perspectives were Jada Harris, Special Projects Manager for the Names Project Foundation and Janese Shaeffer, Communications Director for the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

For more Information for Listeners: Listeners who want to learn more about how to make a panel for the quilt can call 404-688-5500 or visit http://www.aidsquilt.org.

3/4/07
American Kidney Fund
In 2005, Jerome Russell gave a kidney to his younger brother Michael. It was a gift of live, a gift of love, and a gift that over time will help many people in Georgia who suffer from Kidney disease also known as renal disease.

The reason their gift is significant is the fact that Jerome and Michael Russell are the sons of Herman Russell, founder of H. J. Russell & Company, a leading construction and real estate development company in Atlanta. Russell, with two health sons again, (Michael is 42, Jerome, 44) made a $100,000 donation to the American Kidney Fund.

The Russell family hopes to stimulate community action with their gift, the largest the organization has ever received from an individual. With that charge, the American Kidney Fund's Southeast Region is presenting We're Having a Ball a Turquoise and Blue Affair on March 24th at the Piedmont Driving Club.

The event is not another rubber-chicken fund raiser for a good cause. The event borrows from the excitement of the pending NCAA Final Four in Atlanta by featuring a "draft" or "silent auction," a Sports Challenge, and half-time and post game shows. The event is black tie, but sneakers are optional for the evening. Kenny Leon, artistic director for True Colors Theatre Company and renowned for donning a tuxedo and sneakers, is the Gala's honorary chairman.

March is Kidney Disease Awareness Month. More than 450,000 Americans have kidney failure and are kept alive via dialysis or transplant. The annual cost of treating patients in kidney failure is nearly $20-billion annually.

Atlanta has a 23-percent higher rate of newly diagnosed cases of kidney failure than the national average and a 40-percent higher prevalence of kidney failure than the national average.

African Americans are almost 30-percent of the Georgia population, yet account for 70-percent of people who have renal disease. In Georgia more than 12,000 people are on dialysis.

Sponsorships are available and tickets to the event are $200 each. For more information about We're Having a Ball - a Turquoise and Blue Affair on March 24th, call 404.658.1420 or visit http://www.kidneyfund.org.

2/4/07
Vision Atlanta and Camp Grace In 2001, Pastor Dave Pridemore caught the vision for Vision Atlanta at a Christ-centered basketball camp just outside New York City. A year later, he'd developed a business plan and recruited a board of directors.

In 2003, a Gainesville couple agreed incrementally to release approximately 200 acres of land for the camp as capital dollars are donated. In 2004, the zoning of the land for Camp Grace was approved and 2 weeks of day camp were held with more than 200 children attending. Last year day camp expanded to four weeks and more than 300 lives were touched.

On February 24th, Fellowship Baptist Church will sponsor a 5k run with the proceeds benefiting Vision Atlanta and Camp Grace.

For more information about how Vision Atlanta is changing Atlanta one child at a time visit www.visionatlanta.org.

For more information about the race visit www.christianrunners.org.

12/10/06
Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business chronicles Danny Meyer's evolution from aspiring restaurateur to CEO.

Part business book, part memoir, and part peek behind the restaurant curtain, Setting The Table offers an intimate look at one of America's most dynamic restaurateurs and the entrepreneurial instincts that have taken Danny Meyer to the top.

Meyer was interested in cooking and food since childhood and over the years has developed an enlightened business style that shakes up the traditional thinking about management principles and people skills. His restaurants appear continually on the New York City Zagat Survey's most popular list and Setting The Table reveals exactly what it takes to get and stay at the top of your game regardless of what business you are in.

Danny Meyer's New York restaurants include:

Union Square Cafe
Gramercy Tavern
Tabla
Blue Smoke
Shake Shack
Eleven Madison Park
Jazz Standard a jazz club

Setting The Table is available online and in stores now. For more information about Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group visit www.ushgnyc.com.

12/03/06
Tommy Nobis Center Vehicle Donation Program: Helping people with disabilities is the focus of this program. We talk about providing a hand up and not a hand out. This is the work of the Tommy Nobis Center. The Tommy Nobis Center (TNC) is a private not-for-profit community rehabilitation program providing comprehensive job training and employment services to youth and adults with obstacles to employment.

Serving businesses throughout metro Atlanta, TNC enables individuals to enter or return to employment and to enjoy productive and independent lifestyles while contributing to the greater business community. In our 25-year history we have assisted over 11,000 individuals. One way the center is able to help so many people is through its fundraising efforts with its vehicle donation program.

Our guest on the show this week is the legendary Tommy Nobis, former linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons and founder of The Tommy Nobis Center and Connie Kirk, President of the Tommy Nobis Center.

For more information on how to participate in the Vehicle Donation Program, you can call 1-866-662-4728. For general information you can call 770-427-9000 or visit www.tommynobiscenter.org.

11/26/06
Operation Christmas Child: Even though the holidays are still several weeks away, volunteers are needed now to help Operation Christmas Child. The program is a year-round effort with a goal of collecting 8 million personalized, gift-filled shoe boxes for children in more than 90 countries.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of the international relief organization, Samaritan's Purse. Guest on this week's program are Chad Geist, Director, Southeast Region of Operation Christmas Child and 19-year-old Livia Satterfield, who grew up in a Romanian orphanage, received a shoe box gift and was adopted and relocated to the U.S. Now she delivers gifts to underprivileged children.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has hand-delivered shoe box gifts to more than 46-million children in some 120 countries. Still, this is only 2 percent of the children in need.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, you can call 1-800-353-5949 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org

What You Can Do To Get Involved

Prepare: Help enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children in 90 countries.

Pack: Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, candy and a letter of encouragement. Operation Christmas Child says they have the greatest need for gift-filled shoe boxes for boys ages 12-14. Step-by-Step packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org

Process: Sign up to join thousands of Operation Christmas Child volunteers this fall at one of hundreds of collection sites and processing centers in the United States to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to unerprivileged kids on six continents.

11/19/06
Spoiled Rotten America: Outrages of Everyday Life Larry Miller says, "Let's be honest. We are all spoiled, and that does not make us all rotten people!"

From his standup appearances to his unforgettable comic turns in movies like Pretty Woman and Best in Show, Larry Miller is one of the most irresistible comic personalities at work today. In recent years he has gained a new following as a cultural commentator appearing frequently on political shows and penning a humor column for The Weekly Standard.

Now, in Spoiled Rotten America, he fixes his gaze on what's so funny about life in America today – which includes, roughly speaking, everything. From the offhand excesses of celebrity culture ("So is one o'clock okay for your foot massage?") to the paranoia's of everyday life ("'Do you leave your coffeemaker plugged in at night' my sister once asked. 'Sure,' I said, 'but only when I take it in the shower with me'"), Miller is a master at finding the silver lining of sublime absurdity within every little black cloud that hovers over his head.

Ultimately, though, Spoiled Rotten America is more than the average yuck fest. It is an insightful, and surprisingly heartfelt, plea for us to notice what's best and what's worst about America.

Spoiled Rotten America is available online and in stores now. For more information about Larry Miller visit www.larrymillerhumor.com.

11/12/06
HGTV's Junk Brothers Steve and Jim Kelley will make you think twice about holding a garage sale! On Junk Brothers, Wednesday's at 11pm on HGTV, these Canadian brothers create inspired works from the junk we toss into the trash or would unload via a garage sale.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Jim Kelley and his younger brother, Steve, were taught early on that well-made furniture was something to respect and adore. Their father worked in the furniture restoration business and took his young sons to the workshop often. The craftsmen took them under their wings and taught them the tricks of the trade.

The Junk Brothers recently salvaged materials from trash heaps outside a number of metro Atlanta homes. They'll take the items back to their shop in Canada and return before the next trash day with an original piece.

Among the projects converted on their show: an old bed frame into a majestic hallway bench; a face of a broken TV into an aquarium that doubles as a coffee table; an old stove into a hot BBQ on wheels; a broken dryer into a computer desk; and a BBQ into an outdoor fireplace.

HGTV's Series Junk Brothers debuted on HGTV in Canada and has been on in Atlanta on Wednesday at 11pm since July. For more information about the show or Steve and Jim visit www.hgtv.com.

11/05/06
Does Your Life Need A Laxative? Dr. Fred's Practical Prescriptions For Happiness - Eliminate those attitudes, thoughts, habits and behaviors that are sabotaging your life!

Dr. Fred cuts to the chase. If you want to improve how you feel about yourself, your life, your relationships, and your opportunities, Dr. Fred Broder can help. He communicated in single, simple thoughts. He encourges you to think and inspires you to act.

Fred Broder, Ph.D., has had his own motivational speaking, sales and managemetn training consulting firm for more than 8 years. He holds a master's degree in administration/supervision and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction.

Does Your Life Need a Laxative is available online and in stores now. For more information about Dr. Fred Broder visit www.fredbroder.com.

10/29/06
Setting The Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business chronicles Danny Meyer's evolution from aspiring restaurateur to CEO.

Part business book, part memoir, and part peek behind the restaurant curtain, Setting The Table offers an intimate look at one of America's most dynamic restaurateurs and the entrepreneurial instincts that have taken Danny Meyer to the top.

Meyer was interested in cooking and food since childhood and over the years has developed an enlightened business style that shakes up the traditional thinking about management principles and people skills. His restaurants appear continually on the New York City Zagat Survey's most popular list and Setting The Table reveals exactly what it takes to get and stay at the top of your game regardless of what business you are in.

Danny Meyer's New York restaurants include:

Union Square Cafe
Gramercy Tavern
Tabla
Blue Smoke
Shake Shack
Eleven Madison Park
Jazz Standard a jazz club

Setting The Table is available online and in stores now. For more information about Danny Meyer and his Union Square Hospitality Group visit www.ushgnyc.com.

10/22/06
One Move At A Time: How to Play and Win at Chess ...and Life! Orrin C. Hudson travels America teaching young people how to play chess. These strategies help them to win at life.

One Move at a Time teaches 20 proven ways to succeed at chess or anything you want to achieve in life. Our guest on the program is the book's author, Orrin C. Hudson.

Hudson is a former Alabama State Trooper who won back-to-back victories in the Birmingham City Chess Championships in 1999 and 2000. Soon after, he realized that he could teach others how to think strategically, plan effectively, and build self confidence using chess as his vehicle. Focusing his talents on children, Hudson formed Be Someone, a non-profit organization through which he and others help children believe in themselves.

Be Someone has helped over 16,000 young people since its inception.

For more information on Be Someone or how to secure a copy of Hudson's book, call 678-526-0292 or visit www.besomeone.org

10/15/06
Operation Christmas Child: Even though the holidays are still several weeks away, volunteers are needed now to help Operation Christmas Child. The program is a year-round effort with a goal of collecting 8 million personalized, gift-filled shoe boxes for children in more than 90 countries.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of the international relief organization, Samaritan's Purse. Guest on this week's program are Chad Geist, Director, Southeast Region of Operation Christmas Child and 19-year-old Livia Satterfield, who grew up in a Romanian orphanage, received a shoe box gift and was adopted and relocated to the U.S. Now she delivers gifts to underprivileged children.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has hand-delivered shoe box gifts to more than 46-million children in some 120 countries. Still, this is only 2 percent of the children in need.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, you can call 1-800-353-5949 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org

What You Can Do To Get Involved

Prepare: Help enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children in 90 countries.

Pack: Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, candy and a letter of encouragement. Operation Christmas Child says they have the greatest need for gift-filled shoe boxes for boys ages 12-14. Step-by-Step packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org

Process: Sign up to join thousands of Operation Christmas Child volunteers this fall at one of hundreds of collection sites and processing centers in the United States to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to unerprivileged kids on six continents.

10/08/06
Menopause: The Musical is once again extending its run in Atlanta and will perform its 500th show soon. Performances are Wednesday at 2pm and 8pm, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm and 5pm.

The show features an all-local cast and crew starring Ingrid Cole, Mary Kathryn Kaye, Lynna Schmidt, and our guest - actress Valerie Payton who plays "Power Woman."

Individual tickets or ticket discounts for groups of 10 or more can be purchased by calling (404) 733-4738. Reservations for groups of 15 or more can be made several months in advance by calling (404) 733-5367 or (404) 881-2000.

Tickets are on sale through November 2006. The 14th St. Playhouse is located at 173 14th Street, Atlanta, GA 30309.

For more information visit www.menopausethemusical.com or www.14stplayhouse.org.