Chad Gesser

This is Jackie's playhouse "watchtower". I be damned if I'm gonna let this Frank Lloyd Wright replica be sold for under its appraisal value! Who says you can't take it with you when you go!!! You can do it!

Ahh yeah, all you kids on the bikes, get the hell out da way, I'm comin' through!!!! Moving is such an art, a special way of being, made more the special when you throw your back and you have a hard time standing up....nevertheless, the mover shall not be thwarted in his efforts to move. Onward vo!!

Hey everybody! It's us again!

* Kentucky ranks in the top ten poorest states in the United States. * Rates of smoking are highest in states with higher poverty. * Medicaid recipients have approximately 50% greater smoking prevalence than the overall U.S. population. In 2002, Kentucky was 1 of 15 states which did not include medication coverage for tobacco dependence treatment under Medicaid. * In 2004, Kentucky had the highest adult smoking rate in the country at 28%. * The local adult smoking rate (18 and older) is 26%. The local youth smoking rate (8th-12th graders) is 24%. * From 2001-2003, the percent of adults that tried to quit smoking in Owensboro-Daviess County was 56%. The state percentage was 48%. * In 2004, the number of local manufacturers offering smoking cessation programs to their employees was 52%. The state percentage was 48%. * According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, during 1997-2001, cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke resu

Hey everybody! Well, it looks like we will be closing on our new house in late December! We are so excited. This is a preliminary picture. Can't wait until you can visit us!

All of us have been positively influenced by leaders throughout our lives. Whether they were a Little League coach, youth minister, an inspirational teacher or a wise grandparent, our perceptions and character are formed by these personal relationships. We also have been affected by leadership. Think of how American's collectively feel when it is perceived no one is at the helm of the ship in Washington, D.C.. The challenge of leadership is to successfully bring a critical number of people to a unified conclusion resulting in support for action. Research has shown that the critical number of people needed to cause community change is surprisingly a minimum of thirty percent. When Americans fought and won independence from the British, interestingly enough, it was not by means of unanimous support. In fact, the population was bitterly divided into three equal camps. There were the Tory's, those loyal to the crown, the Revolutionaries fighting for independence, and those

Did I fail to say "Welcome Back!" to everyone?! Yes I did, so this is your welcome back to a new academic year. I encourage you to keep your sociological perspective sharp by accessing some new additions to this "stuff" I call my work. Sociology Interest Links This webpage is an extension of my class website. I keep this pretty up-to-date with some very good resources for the field of sociology. Don't forget to check it out. It's a good resource from writing term/research papers in the field of the social sciences, and of course, sociology. My RSS Feeds Keep up-to-date with the current news events from around the world by visiting my RSS feeds. Before learning more about RSS feeds, check out these resources I have collected. Another good source. If you don't know what RSS feeds are, go here . Got additional resources I should add? Should me an email at chad.gesser@kctcs.edu.

This edition's Tracker can be found by clicking here . This edition of The Tracker will provide comparative data related to Global Economic Development. As Owensboro-Daviess County continues to weigh economic development approaches and strategies, data indicators are presented to give local citizens insight into the challenges of our world. * In 2002-2003, the under five mortality rate for the United States was 8 per 1,000. The same rate in Israel was 6, and in the West Bank-Gaza the rate was 24. * Using the nutritional status of children under five years of age in the United States as the baseline in 2002-2003, 47% of children in Ethiopia were considered malnourished, 35% in Pakistan, 34% in Vietnam, 10% in Nicaragua, 0% in Germany, and 0% in France. * The incidence of tuberculosis per 100,000 in 2003 in the United States was 5. In Spain the rate was 27, in Somalia 411, in Sweden 4, in Iraq 157, in Costa Rica 15, and 102 in China. * Life expectancy at birth in 2003 for the

This edition of The Tracker can be found in print publication of the Public Life Advocate at the website of the Public Life Foundation . Sources for this edition's Tracker can be found at the end of this post. Check back for additional information on an ongoing basis. * Each year 32,000 older adults suffer from hip fractures—contributing to more than 1,500 deaths—attributable to drug-induced falls. * Two million older Americans are addicted or at risk of addiction to minor tranquilizers or sleeping pills because they have used them daily for at least one year. * According to the Fortune 500 in 2002, the drug industry ranked second among all business sectors in return on shareholder equity, with a rate more than two-and-a-half times the 2002 Fortune 500 median (27.6% compared with 10.2%). * In the 1990s, the drug industry’s profitability grew to almost four times the Fortune 500 median. * Vioxx (arthritis medication now off the market) was more heavily advertised in 2000 than

Welcome all to the Blog that brings you exciting connections to items of sociological significance in our world. It's summer time here, and that means it is time for me to take a bit of a break. However, I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions you may have in my efforts to improve the offerings of this blog and its purpose useful. Send me a line at chad.gesser@kctcs.edu. See you in Fall 2005, with maybe a few sundry items between now and then....

Well, I guess it's most appropriate for me to now comment and capture my Broadway, er, my RiverPark Center debut in the production of Peter Pan. Suffice it to say that I am very pleased that I got involved, and that my first role had more of a significance than I initially hoped. Let me first summarize that this is my first ever appearance in a theatrical production on stage. So here I am, 33, never have acted much less "danced" on stage, and I'm playing in front of a nearly sold out crowd of say 1,000-1,500 people. Ok, having got that out of the way, let me comment on my experience. I certainly recall entering the first day of practice that I was indeed out of place. I'm sure I was perceived as an area homeless man strolling in off the street, with my personally iconoclast frayed blue jeans and probably a New Orleans Jazz Fest shirt from 2002 or 2003. Those are about the only two t-shirts I wear out of the house. Everyone else was wearing leotards, dance s

By Ron Scherer Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor NEW YORK – The cost of being a borrower is rising. As the Federal Reserve raises interest rates - as it is expected to do again Tuesday - everyone from students to car buyers to anyone carrying a credit-card balance will start to notice that lenders are charging more. To read the entirety of this article, click here

Talk of the Nation, March 14, 2005 · Texas warns that Medicaid costs could leave the state broke. Florida is considering semi-privatization -- and in Kansas, the governor wants to extend coverage to more who need it. Read and hear more about the national medicaid crisis from National Public Radio by clicking here .

This edition of The Tracker can be found in print publication of the Public Life Advocate at the website of the Public Life Foundation . * Kentucky’s median malpractice payout in 2002 was only half what it was in 1995. * The total dollar amount of malpractice payouts in Kentucky declined 4.1% from 1995 to 2002. * In Kentucky, there were five medical malpractice payouts exceeding $1 million in 2002, compared with six payouts in 1995. The average number of payouts of $1 million or more during the past eight years has been 3.2 annually. * According to the Kentucky Medical Association, 819 doctors left the state during 2001 and 2002. * The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure reports a decrease of 19 doctors for that two-year period. * Of the 1,273 physicians who left Kentucky as of 2003, 31% went to neighboring states such as Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee, where insurance premiums are, on average, lower. * Eighty-two of Kentucky’s 100 counties have no obstetricians – or just one * Me

Mexico's Minister of Health talks about the role that disease, violence, and malnutrition play in the dialogue over global economic development. Read this article in its entirety by clicking here .

Discussion, rumours, even hearsay regarding community development reoccurs in our community in cycles. Nevertheless, it's substance has a tendency to leave us dumbfounded. Community economic development will always be an important issue to those communities that struggle economically and struggle with population growth. Work, the education that precedes it, and the socialization by our consumer culture to buy stuff are central tenets of our living. The economy as a social institution is primary to our existence in the westernized, global economy. I would suggest that for the average Owensboro citizen community economic development is a frustrating notion of which most people feel they have no control. Most of us feel we are at the whims of those making decisions, and that our jobs and job opportunities are dependent on what "they" decide for "us". Our local economy has passed through a wood chipper of change over the past two decades. We have moved fr

The opinions of the NIF model are taking into consideration adaptations and additions that have been used in the Owensboro area. To learn more about the NIF model, visit the " National Issues Forums (NIF) website , the Kettering Foundation website , or the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation website . " National Issues Forums (NIF) " is a nonpartisan, nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues." The NIF forum is characterized by the use of a NIF guide. The guide's primary thrust for a dialogue that yields a "successful deliberation" is the formulation of information and knowledge of the particular issue into at least three options. The premise is that to achieve critical thinking and in-depth analysis there must be more than a "yes/no" stance on a particular issue. Simply put, a minimum of three options on any particular issue, with pros and cons per option, p

My brother Nick turned 38 this year. Because he is so old=so many candles=a cake that was more like the 4th of July sky at the river than a sweet, candyland like, cute lil' birthday cake. "Honey, where's that fire extinguisher?!"

Meet the new Borishnikoff, the Fred Astaire of the theatre, welcome to the debut writing of my debut performance in the 2005 production of the Off Broadway/RiverPark Center Production of Peter Pan...... Ok, if I knew then what I know now, I may not be writing this! Well, I've wanted to get on stage, in performance mode as opposed to janitor mode, for quite sometime. I'm taken back to my high school days like a return flight to New Orleans when I had the opportunity to act, but passed for fear of public reprisal....of my friends no longer being my friends, and from becoming one of the 'weirdos' in school. But ahhh yes, how nice it is to be a weirdo. So I have finally grown up, to the point of a seventeen year old. Whaaa? You ask. It's nice to be taken back to replenish my need to be creative. All in the name of growth. Sometimes we must return to a previous time in order to find ourselves in the middle of that futuristic state that seemed unatenable. We

The following is a couple of paragraphs from "In defiance of gravity: writing, wisdom, and the Fabulous Club Gemini" , by Tom Robbins found in the January 2005 edition of Harper's Magazine. I found it highly ironic that I found the courage to post the definition of wisdom to the Owensboro Blog, and found this definition shortly thereafter. Mr. Robbins offers insight on what Tibetans call "crazy wisdom". "Crazy wisdom is, of course, the opposite of conventional wisdom. It is wisdom that deliberately swims against the current in order to avoid being swept along in the numbing wake of bourgeois compromise; wisdom that flouts taboos in order to undermine their power; wisdom that evolves when one, while refusing to avert one's gaze from the sorrows and injustices of the world, insists on joy in spite of everything; wisdom that embraces risk and eschews security; wisdom that turns the tables on neurosis by lampooning it; the wisdom of those who neither se

I have been involved in exploring the dynamics of dialogue and deliberation in the Owensboro community proper for several years. I have also served as a facilitator in various forms, particularly as an adjunct instructor in sociology for close to ten years. There have been many opportunities for dialogue and deliberation in the Owensboro community for the past six to seven years, particularly led by Community Conversations and the Public Life Foundation . As vice chair of Community Conversations , I know all too well the challenge of maintaining neutrality in addressing community issues, particularly with a focus on providing the opportunity for all voices to be heard. To develop this process and approach to individual communication, intra-group dialogue, community dialogue, and subsequent deliberation on each of these levels, it becomes important to establish a foundation of theoretical justification for initiatives to proceed. The dialogue/deliberative work in the Owensboro comm

Geez....how lucky can a small family like ours be. Look at these angels!!!! They are simply wonderful.....

wis·dom Pronunciation: 'wiz-d&m Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wIsdOm, from wIs wise 1 a : accumulated philosophic or scientific learning : KNOWLEDGE b : ability to discern inner qualities and relationships : INSIGHT c : good sense : JUDGMENT d : generally accepted belief 2 : a wise attitude or course of action 3 : the teachings of the ancient wise men wis·dom

wis·dom Pronunciation: 'wiz-d&m Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wIsdOm, from wIs wise 1 a : accumulated philosophic or scientific learning : KNOWLEDGE b : ability to discern inner qualities and relationships : INSIGHT c : good sense : JUDGMENT d : generally accepted belief 2 : a wise attitude or course of action 3 : the teachings of the ancient wise men wis·dom

Well, it's here yet once again. The day that some relish, the day that some long to forget. January 23rd for me is my birthday. I'll be 33 years of age this year. I'd like to take a look back on the past year for posterity's sake. This time last year the Louisville Cardinals were hot to trot. I remember watching them beat then #2 ranked Florida in Louisville. It was awe inspiring, especially since Franciso Garcia had lost his brother just about a week before the game. His brother was shot in Brooklyn. Francisco played with such heart, and motioned to the heavens at each opportunity. I saw the Cards play Tennessee today, and Francisco plays with his brother's memory heavy on his soul. However, instead of burden, he plays with his brother's memory as inspiration. Right around the beginning of February last year is when my dad began his steady decline until he passed away in March 2004. I've spoken to this before, and you can read more abo

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 9 - To cries of "God is great!" in Arabic and "Hallelujah!" the Islamic government of Sudan signed a peace agreement on Sunday with a Christian rebel group in the south that called for an end to one of Africa's fiercest and longest-running civil wars. Click here for the entire article. click here for sociological terms related to social conflict.

By Jan Rocha BBC News, Brazil Soya bean farmers in Brazil are demanding that a 600-mile-long stretch of highway, which runs due north through the Amazon region, should be paved so it can be used in all weathers. But environmentalists are alarmed at the plans to cut through the country's natural assets. Click here for the entire article. click here for global stratification and culture related links.

SANTIAGO, Chile - In many parts of Latin America, resistance to cultural domination by the United States is often synonymous with a reluctance to learn or speak English. But here, where Salvador Allende was once a beacon for the left, the current Socialist-led national government has begun a sweeping effort to make this country bilingual. Click here for the entire article. Click here for the related sociological terms on culture and language.

BANGUI, 6 Jan 2005 (IRIN) - Preparations for democratic elections and efforts to restore security across the country featured greatly in the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2004. Despite setbacks of insecurity and human rights violations, events in the year indicated that after years of instability, the country could be on the verge of democracy. Click here for the entire article. Click here for the related sociological terms on politics and development.

A NEW BRIDGE: With the help of outside aid, Sri Lankans are rebuilding in Galle.Rumors and false information are complicating the clean up efforts along the southern coast. Click here for the entire article. Click here for the related sociological terms on stratification.

BORDER ORDER: These three Mexican migrants crossed into the United States last April. They're some of the more than 10 million Mexicans currently in the US illegally. President Bush wants to pass a guest-worker program this year. Click here for the entire article. Click here for the related sociological terms on immigration, population, and economic development.

By Benjamin Kang Lim BEIJING (Reuters) - China named the first baby born at a Beijing hospital Thursday as the 1.3 billionth person of the world's most populous nation, more than two decades after a one-child policy was introduced to keep its numbers in check. Click here for the entire article. Click here for the related sociological terms on population and demography.

Adventures in Africa: Saving the children Part I of an ongoing series Judy Lorimer has just returned from a month in Mali, West Africa, doing volunteer work for Save the Children. During her stay, she kept a journal, which we will run as a series of columns about Mali and Lorimer's work there. Her hope through this series is to educate our readers about what life in Rural Africa is like and to encourage you to consider sponsoring a child in the region, as she does, at the cost of $1 a day. Until last year, Judy was a teacher in Harvard. Now retired, she lives in Pepperell. For the remainder of this article, click here . For related sociological terms and concepts, click here .

This is a quick and easy look at the history of how the outsourcing of American jobs has become a critical piece of our economic development strategy. Thanks goes out to a former student of mine for pointing this out! Thanks Wendy!!! Click here to visit the site. Click here to visit additional links related to the economy and global stratification.