RIP Regis Philbin

Talking is one of the essential actions that makes humans humans. Anyone can string a sentence together. But it takes someone with the gift of speech to truly make an emotional connection with another person.

Yesterday, talk show and game show host Regis Philbin passed away yesterday. He was 88. Born in New York City in 1931 to an Irish father and an Italian mother, he started his career in television in 1955.

Known as affable and friendly, Regis immediately connected with audiences. He had a down to earth charm that makes superstars of talk show and games how hosts. In those genres, the star is not the host. The stars are the guests and the contestants. But Regis was a star, in every sense of the word.

He will be remembered by audiences as the warm smile they looked forward to every week and and the charm that kept millions entertained.

May his memory be a blessing. RIP.

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Thoughts On Kanye West’s Mental Health Issues

When a subject is taboo, the first step in removing the taboo is starting a conversation about that subject. Sometimes, that conversation starts with the headline of a known name tied to that issue.

As of late, rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West‘s behavior has become so erratic that his family has asked for compassion as he faces another brutal battle with Bipolar Disorder.

I normally loathe to discuss this particular family, but this topic hits too close to home.

Mental illness of any kind is not a joke, nor it is a drama king/queen’s way of getting attention. It is a real health condition that requires support and access to medical care. Until we realize that and put in the structure needed to help those who suffer, it will never be on par with physical illness.

The Seneca Falls Convention Was Only The Beginning

Social movements, especially those whose focus is civil or social rights are rarely, if ever, declared victorious in a short amount of time. Recent American history tell us that that it takes years, if not decades or centuries for these movements to achieve their goals.

Earlier this week was the anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention. Held in Seneca Falls in 1848, it is the seminal event the Feminist movement in the the United States.

Next month, we celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment.

Looking back through history, I am amazed and awe inspired on the progress that not just American women, but women in general have made. I am from a generation in which a woman working outside of the home in jobs that are not traditionally “female” is completely normal. Women of my generation, if they marry, are marrying later in life. Our careers and our education is just as important as having a husband and children.

However, there are still battles to be fought. Women still earn less than male colleagues with the same experience and job title. Our ability to access safe and legal abortions is tenuous at best and depends on a number of factors. The chance of being sexually assaulted and/or harassed is still too high for my comfort. In my home state of New York, rape intoxication loophole has yet to be filled.

This generation of feminists stands on the shoulders of brave women who understood that the future is female. We honor and remember the gains they made, but that does not mean that our job is done. Until we have true equality, we must continue on the path that they paved for us starting in 1848.