I know, I know. I’ve been around for a while. But since all the cool kids were doing it (like, Julissa, Lindsey, Stacy and Jessica), I figured I would too. Oh yeah, and stay tuned for ABC’s from Vanessa Marvin as well!
A is for Area Code: 916
B is for Breakfast. What did you have for breakfast today? Banana & peanut butter
C is for Calling. What do you consider your calling to be? Empowering people to take control of their communities
D is for Dogs. Do you have any? Yes! His name is Malcolm and I loooove him.
E is for Energy. What do you do when you need more energy? Go for a walk and get some tea
F is for Fun. What do you like to do for fun? I love hiking with my dog. But I also like cooking for friends
G is for Greatest Accomplishment. What is yours? Yikes. Tough question. Right now I am going to say not killing my tomato plants. Read More »
I had no idea what to expect for my first I&E Days. As I neared the capitol and finished my first coffee, I awakened and became excited as I saw the large white tent where the 2013 Capitol I&E Days conference was taking place. When I got to the tent, I helped check in the I&E Days participants. During the process, it was great to see all the faces helping out with tobacco awareness. All faces were different and from different parts of California, but everyone had a similar look of eagerness and readiness for the day.
Later, all the participants got into their groups to talk about how they would go about their meetings with their legislators. We found that there were some gaps and people came together to do more work and go to those meetings as well. I ended up filling one of these gaps so someone wouldn’t have to go alone and I’m really glad I had that chance! Read More »
The 2013 Capitol I&E Days has come and gone. And needless to say, there was a lot of great stuff that happened on May 6th & 7th. We had over 160 participants this year from 53 counties in California and once again dropped off information with every legislative office in the Capitol. But what were our favorite parts of I&E Days? Read below and then add your own in the comments!
This year I felt that the legislative speakers (Assembly members Dickinson, Levine and Bloom) were particularly impactful. They all had such great perspective on how far we’ve come as a movement and really understand how much (and how urgent!) work still needs to be done to protect all Californians. But more importantly, with their local experiences they appreciate how important our local work is. What a great trio! – Vanessa Marvin
My favorite part of I&E Days this year was the Meet & Greet. Most years, the Meet & Greet is fairly straight forward, attendees come, have some snacks, hear a couple speakers and then go to dinner. This year, at the suggestion of our fabulous workgroup, we threw in a scavenger hunt designed to get people talking. And boy did it work! Everywhere I turned there were people smiling and introducing themselves to colleagues they had never met before. It really was a fun way to get to know people and inject some much needed fun into the event. – Erin Reynoso Read More »
A new post in our series “Tobacco & Twenty-somethings”, by Stacy Song
Reality television is my guiltiest pleasure. I know it probably lowers my IQ a few notches, but for some reason I just cannot get enough of it. Over the weekend, I decided to catch up on the newest season of The Real World. In one of the episodes, there was a debate between two characters over whether smoking a cigarette is more dangerous than smoking a hookah. This argument starts when one of the cast members confidently says that smoking hookah is the equivalent to 1/77th of a cigarette. Obviously, this fact sounds flawed so another cast member decides to google some information. Most viewers just see this as a menial argument, however, it brings up a good point. After this episode, I decided to look up some facts for myself. Read More »
This week we premier our new blog series “Tobacco & Twenty-somethings” which will take a look at tobacco use and tobacco control through the eyes of our own twenty-something, Stacy Song. Every week Stacy will blog about tobacco through her own very unique lens. We hope you enjoy!
In today’s society, women are obsessed with being skinny and the newest dieting fads. Source: I am a woman in today’s society. I’ve tried low-carb, no-carb, paleo, the master cleanse…you name it! Although I normally stick with a diet for only a few days before giving up, I know the feeling of just wanting to lose a few pounds. I was talking to an incredibly thin co-worker last week (not at the ALA) who told me she used to be heavy in high school. Of course, my first response was, “How did you do it?” Jokingly, she responded, “The cigarette diet really works.”
Although she laughed about it, she told me cigarettes actually did help her lose weight. I had heard about this before, about how supermodels smoke tons of cigarettes to suppress their appetite and how some people just drink water and smoke cigarette to have the same effect. Because nicotine is a stimulant, it is said to suppress your appetite and keep your brain satisfied. It can aid with weight loss, but it obviously comes with health risks. My co-worker now smokes close to a pack a day but she still remains thin. She wants to go into the Air Force but doesn’t know if she can complete basic training because her lungs and body won’t allow her to run one mile without feeling like she might die. She thinks this is because she is out of shape, and although that is one of the reasons, her addiction to cigarettes is definitely the main cause. Read More »
I know, I know. I’ve been around for a while. But since all the cool kids were doing it (like, Julissa, Lindsey, Stacy and Jessica), I figured I would too. Oh yeah, and stay tuned for ABC’s from Vanessa Marvin as well!
