(NAPSI)—In these uncertain times, kids need music more than ever. Anyone who has ever seen toddlers naturally sway and bob to music, knows that children feel music—and that music and kids go together like macaroni and cheese. Studies also show that music can help the very young deal with stress and turn around their emotions like nothing else. 

Tunes For Toddlers

To that end, Walt Disney Records’ most successful lullaby album artist and producer, Grammy nominee Fred Mollin, created “It’s Great To Be a Kid,” a new album of heartwarming, fun original songs for kids ages 1 through 6. These songs take children on a musical expedition highlighting the beautiful things in life, reminding them how much joy there is to look forward to in their young lives at a time when they need it most.

The songs evoke the simple pleasures of being young, driving in a car, walking and seeing the beauty of nature, playing with friends, dancing to an upbeat song, the joy of food and even the fun of helping tidy up the house. Three interactive Bonus Tracks are versions that leave key moments blank during the songs, for children to join in.

Learn More 

For further information, visit www.melodyplacemusic.com and www.fredmollin.com.

(NAPSI)—There are certain aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic that many Americans may not have thought about. For example, one area that saw a sharp decline was volunteerism—placing heavy burdens on nonprofit organizations that rely on the compassion of their volunteer forces. 

According to a recent research survey by Fidelity Charitable, a nonprofit organization created by Fidelity Investments, two-thirds of all U.S. volunteers had either decreased volunteer hours or stopped volunteering altogether because of the pandemic. 

Volunteer to Help Veterans

One nonprofit feeling the effects is DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and its Transportation Network, which has helped get veterans to and from medical appointments since 1987, when the government-run system was shut down. The nationwide DAV Transportation Network provides no-cost rides to veterans who need help getting to their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and clinics. Prior to 2020, volunteer drivers spent more than one million hours and logged over 20 million miles, providing more than 600,000 rides for veterans each year.

“We’ve seen a major decline over the past year in volunteer support across all of our programs,” said John Kleindienst, Director of Voluntary Services at DAV. “For our aging veteran population, getting to and from critical care appointments is a growing concern and without volunteers, many veterans have no way to access their health care or get other much needed support.” Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—While most American adults have already received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a lot of people still have questions. Everyone deserves to have access to factual information to make a decision about getting vaccinated. But many people don’t know where to go to get their questions answered. 

For most people who want more information, talking to their personal doctor is the best place to start. Your doctor or health team will know you and your medical situation better than anyone. They can help you make an informed decision that’s right for you.

When talking with your doctor, there are a few key questions you may want to consider: 

Vaccine Questions:

1.Why did your doctor choose to get vaccinated? Over 90% of doctors have decided to get vaccinated against COVID-19. You may want to hear more about why they chose to get vaccinated as a healthcare provider.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Over 1.8 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year according to the American Cancer Society. If you or someone you care about is diagnosed with cancer you may be relieved to know there are techniques available that can improve your likelihood of response and survival by using your cancer cells to select the most effective drugs before you receive them.

What Can Help

The process is called functional profiling, which analyzes living cancer cells from a patient to find out the drugs, combinations and sequences that are the most effective and least toxic for each individual. It’s particularly helpful in treating cancers that have been considered “untreatable,” such as pancreatic cancers, advanced lung and recurrent breast cancers. 

Why It Works 

Cancers arise from cells that have learned certain tricks to enhance their survival. In so doing they outlive their normal counterparts. These transformed cells interact directly with their micro-environment. Cancer cells “talk” to each other and to all the surrounding immune cells, blood vessels and structural elements using chemical signals such as growth fac- tors and metabolic byproducts. Blood vessels, immune cells and connective tissues all participate and promote the cancer process.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Nationwide, in both major cities and small towns, neighborhoods with more Black, Hispanic and Asian residents experience hotter temperatures during summer heatwaves than nearby white residents, regardless of a neighborhood’s income.

These racial disparities exist because non-white neighborhoods tend to be more densely built up with buildings and pavement that trap heat, and have fewer trees to cool the landscape, according to the nationwide study in the AGU journal Earth’s Future, which publishes interdisciplinary research on the past, present and future of the planet and its inhabitants. 

The trend held up even when wealth was taken out of the picture. When residents had a similar income, non-white neighborhoods still faced significantly higher temperatures than white ones in 71% of the counties. 

“Urban climate is different from temperatures outside the city,” explained the study’s co-author Susanne Benz, an environmental scientist who conducted this research at the University of California, San Diego and is now at Dalhousie University. “Inside the city, temperatures are affected by the buildings surrounding you and by the surface of the streets.” Dark pavement absorbs sunlight and releases the heat at night, while trees and other vegetation cool an area through transpiration, when they release water vapor through pores in the leaves.  Continue reading →

To get a tropical look in a warm temperate garden, one most interesting is the little-known genus Curcuma which includes Curcuma longa the culinary spice turmeric. Curcuma, or hidden cone gingers, is a genus of mostly tropical plants known for their dramatic bold foliage, flamboyant floral show. Curcuma can range in height from just under 2′ to over 7′ tall. The slightly hidden flowers resemble psychedelic pinecones…a nice trip back to the 1960s.

Group of happy senior friends cheering at barbecue meal in terrace outdoor – Mature old people drinking wine at patio bbq dinner – Main focus on left hands glasses – Joyful elderly lifestyle concept

(NAPSI)—Over 70 million Baby Boomers grew up playing board games and watching game shows together—and they still love doing both.

A new pop culture trivia game is taking Boomers on a nostalgic road trip back to the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Designed to be played by two teams, Boom Again features thousands of questions drawing upon Boomer’s memories of advertising slogans and jingles, politics and social movements, movies, music, television, and more. \

Groups of Baby Boomers are laughing their way through memories on a wide variety of their experiences: from The Twist to Disco; American Bandstand to Soul Train; Doris Day all the way to Janis Joplin, and on to Steve Martin; Hula Hoops to The Pill; and poodle skirts to mini-skirts. And they are singing their way through all the music of their youth, too. Continue reading →

From the internet

Years ago, Al Capone owned Chicago . Capone bootlegged booze, prostitution and had people murder.

Capone’s lawyer nicknamed ‘Easy Eddie.’ Easy Eddie’s skill at legal loop holes kept Capone out of jail for a long time.

Easy Eddie had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right way. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

With all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn’t give his son; he couldn’t pass on a good name or a good example.

He decided he would go to the authorities and and try to clean up his name , and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great, he testified. Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Zero net emissions of carbon dioxide from energy and industry can be achieved by 2050—and it could cost only about $1 a day. That’s the finding of a new study by James Williams at the University of San Francisco and Margaret S. Torn at the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory. The study can be found in the peer-reviewed journal AGU Advances, which publishes high-impact, open-access research and commentary across the Earth and space sciences.

Why It Matters

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world must reach zero net carbon dioxide emissions by mid-century to avoid the most dangerous effects of climate change.

How To Do It

The researchers say it can be done by:

• Increasing energy efficiency.
• Switching to electric technologies.
• Using clean energy (especially wind and solar power).
• Deploying a small amount of carbon capture technology.

Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—About 40.7 million Americans have some kind of disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If you or someone you care about has a disability, you may wonder what it means for employment. You may be encouraged to know that there are supports and services available that can help you or your loved ones pursue work and reach your goals through Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) program.

Ticket To Work Program

The Ticket program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits and want to work. This program is free and voluntary. Program participants select a service provider to help them prepare for, and find, a job. The provider may be a State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency or an Employment Network (EN)—a public or private organization that has an agreement with Social Security—to offer:

•Career planning

•Job placement assistance

•Ongoing employment support.

These career development services and supports are unique to each individual. Participants work with their service providers to develop a customized plan and identify the supports they need to reach their work goals. Continue reading →