“A tree is best measured when it is down,” the poet Carl Sandburg once observed, “and so it is with people.” The recent death of Harry Belafonte at the age of 96 has prompted many assessments of what this pioneering singer-actor-activist accomplished in a long and fruitful life.
Belafonte’s career as a ground-breaking entertainer brought him substantial wealth and fame; according to Playbill magazine, “By 1959, he was the highest paid Black entertainer in the industry, appearing in raucously successful engagements in Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles.” He scored on Broadway, winning a 1954 Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical – John Murray Anderson's Almanac. Belafonte was the first Black person to win the prestigious award. A 1960 television special, “Tonight with Belafonte,” brought him an Emmy for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series, making him the first Black person to win that award. He found equal success in the recording studio, bringing Calypso music to the masses via such hits as “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jamaica Farewell.”
Harry Belafonte - Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) (Live)www.youtube.com
Belafonte’s blockbuster stardom is all the more remarkable for happening in a world plagued by virulent systemic racism. Though he never stopped performing, by the early 1960s he’d shifted his energies to the nascent Civil Right movement. He was a friend and adviser to the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. and, as the New York Times stated, Belafonte “put up much of the seed money to help start the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was one of the principal fund-raisers for that organization and Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center notes that “he helped launch one of Mississippi’s first voter registration drives and provided funding for the Freedom Riders. His activism extended beyond the U.S. as he fought against apartheid alongside Nelson Mandela and Miriam Makeba, campaigned for Mandela’s release from prison, and advocated for famine relief in Africa.” And in 1987, he received an appointment to UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador.
Over a career spanning more than seventy years, Belafonte brought joy to millions of people. He also did something that is, perhaps, even greater: he fostered the hope that a better world for all could be created. And, by his example, demonstrated how we might go about bringing that world into existence.
Connecticut Approves Chronic Pain as Qualifying Condition to Medical Cannabis Program
There are now 38 ailments that qualify a patient for medical cannabis in the State of Connecticut.
Connecticut's medical cannabis program is about to get a lot bigger!
Last September the Regulation Review Committee approved two new conditions for the State's eight-year-old medical marijuana program. These recommendations were made by the Board of Physicians and Commissioner of Consumer Protection. By adding chronic pain and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome to the list of qualifying conditions, there are now 38 ailments that qualify a patient for medical cannabis in the State of Connecticut. Below is a breakdown of approved conditions for adults over 18 years of age, as well as patients under the age of 18.
For Adults, Debilitating Medical Conditions Include:
- Cancer (Effective 2012)
- Glaucoma (Effective 2012)
- Positive status for HIV or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Effective 2012)
- Parkinson's Disease (Effective 2012)
- Multiple Sclerosis (Effective 2012)
- Damage to the Nervous Tissue Of the Spinal Cord with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity (Effective 2012)
- Epilepsy (Effective 2012)
- Cachexia (Effective 2012)
- Wasting Syndrome (Effective 2012)
- Crohn's Disease (Effective 2012)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Effective 2012)
- Sickle Cell Disease (Effective 2016)
- Post Laminectomy Syndrome with Chronic Radiculopathy (Effective 2016)
- Severe Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (Effective 2016)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Effective 2016)
- Ulcerative Colitis (Effective 2016)
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Type I and Type II (Effective 2016)
- Cerebral Palsy (Effective 2016)
- Cystic Fibrosis (Effective 2016)
- Irreversible Spinal Cord Injury with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity (Effective 2016)
- Terminal Illness Requiring End-Of-Life Care (Effective 2016)
- Uncontrolled Intractable Seizure Disorder (Effective 2016)
- Spasticity or Neuropathic Pain Associated with Fibromyalgia (Effective 2018)
- Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis (Effective 2018)
- Post Herpetic Neuralgia (Effective 2018)
- Hydrocephalus with Intractable Headache (Effective 2018)
- Intractable Headache Syndromes (Effective 2018)
- Neuropathic Facial Pain (Effective 2018)
- Muscular Dystrophy (Effective 2018)
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Effective 2018)
- Chronic Neuropathic Pain Associated with Degenerative Spinal Disorders (Effective 2018)
- Interstitial Cystitis (Effective 2019)
- MALS Syndrome (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome) (Effective 2019)
- Vulvodynia and Vulvar Burning (Effective 2019)
- Intractable Neuropathic Pain that is Unresponsive to Standard Medical Treatments (Effective 2019)
- Tourette Syndrome (Effective 2019)
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (Effective 2020)
- Cerebral Palsy (Effective 2016)
- Cystic Fibrosis (Effective 2016)
- Irreversible Spinal Cord Injury with Objective Neurological Indication of Intractable Spasticity (Effective 2016)
- Severe Epilepsy (Effective 2016)
- Terminal Illness Requiring End-Of-Life Care (Effective 2016)
- Uncontrolled Intractable Seizure Disorder (Effective 2016)
- Muscular Dystrophy (Effective 2018)
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Effective 2018)
- Intractable Neuropathic Pain that is Unresponsive to Standard Medical Treatments (Effective 2018)
- Tourette Syndrome for patients who have failed standard medical treatment (Effective 2019)
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
A Busy Mom's Honest Review Of Calm
It's 3 am and I can't sleep! Work presentations, mental grocery lists, whether or not I remembered to sign my daughter's permission slip for the field trip next week, you name it, and I can guarantee that it's running through my head. I've tried every trick in the book; didn't have any coffee past 4 pm and limited my screen time in the hours leading up to bed but nothing seemed to work. My lack of sleep was beginning to affect my day to day life. I was losing concentration at work, started forgetting little things here and there, and my overall mood was just not good. Plus when I'm exhausted, I'm more likely to eat junk food or skip the gym. A few months ago, at my Saturday morning yoga class, I was complaining about how tired I was to a friend when she told me about Calm, an audio app designed to help with sleep and anxiety, that had completely transformed her insomnia.
I downloaded Calm and started the 7-day free trial, I was impressed with how many different features they have to help you with stressful areas of your life. Their sleep section, which my friend described as her "saving grace" offers a huge variety of different audio recordings. Just like a spa, they have everything from soothing rain, starry nights, and waves crashing at the ocean. There's also music playlists curated especially for relaxation, Sleep Stories, a library with over 100 tales being read by some well-known celebrities and experts. I wasn't really sure that any of this would help me sleep, but I decided it wouldn't hurt to try. They add new stories, playlists, and even meditation classes every week, so I was hopeful that I would find something that would work for me. Plus, I loved the idea of having so many features all in one place on my phone, ready to use at the touch of a button.
The following week, after a particularly stressful day at the office followed by an anxious journey home, I was really looking forward to trying Calm that evening. I always loved being read a story by my mom when I was a kid, so I decided to start with the Sleep Stories feature. I selected Blue Gold, which is narrated by Stephen Fry and tells the tale of a calming journey through the lavender fields and quiet villages of Provence. Calm carefully constructs their stories, taking into consideration everything from the pitch of the noise to the pace of the story being told, all based on extensive neuroscientific research about putting you to sleep. The story is 25 minutes long, but I was asleep after just 15! I slept through most of the night and woke up feeling refreshed and well rested. I haven't slept that well in as long as I can remember. The next day was awesome at work, and I was really excited to try a new story that night.
I've been using Calm for a few months now, and I can't remember what I did before it. I eventually signed up for the annual plan, and I have access to everything. You can cancel anytime, but I honestly use this app a few times a week. Their sleep stories help me fall asleep within 20 minutes, and if I wake up at 3 am, I play some rain sounds and I'm back asleep in 10 minutes (not 2 hours). I'm really enjoying exploring all of the other features that the app offers, too. I now meditate a few times a week with the app and find the meditation helps me control my emotions and feel balanced and in control all day. I finally get the amount of sleep that I need to be a functioning human (because, no, sleep is not a luxury), and I can't wait to see what new features and stories they have coming in the next few months.
Update: If you're looking for relaxation on the go, our friends at Calm are offering you a free 7-day trial! Click here and get started today!
