The 10-minute piece will be distributed nationwide to schools, safety organizations, government agencies and more as part of AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign. Each of the eight individuals included in the full-length reel volunteered their stories to help AT&T educate wireless customers – particularly youth – on the risks of tapping away on their cell phones in the car. The documentary can be viewed online at no charge on AT&T’s “It Can Wait” website and on AT&T’s YouTube page.

“Distracted driving is an epidemic, particularly among teens who are confident in their ability to text or talk while driving,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Of the 5,500 people killed last year due to distracted driving, the largest proportion of fatalities occurred among young people under the age of 20. I hope teens will take this powerful video to heart and realize that when you’re behind the wheel, no text message or phone call is worth the risk.”

For additional information on AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign, please visit www.att.com/txtingcanwait.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE^® magazine.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com//ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.

^© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cheryl Hines, Go Red For Women spokesperson is Making It Her Mission to fight heart disease.

Women Nationwide Telling 5 to Take Action Against Their No. 1 Killer

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women each year. This means women just like you – mothers, sisters, friends – are dying at the rate of one per minute because they don’t know what you know: heart disease kills. This year, Cheryl Hines, Go Red For Women spokesperson is Making It Her Mission to fight heart disease this National Wear Red Day, this past Friday February 4th, 2011.

“Heart disease is no laughing matter. After my father suffered a massive heart attack, I realized just how serious heart disease can be,” said Hines. “I’m taking action to build a more heart-healthy lifestyle for me and my daughter — and I encourage others to do the same. Just by Telling 5 women you love about their risk, we can save lives.”

Heart disease has already touched you or someone you love, so help us save a woman’s life today. Make It Your Mission to stop the No. 1 killer.

WHY TAKE ACTION?

• Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women age 20 and over, killing approximately one woman every minute.
• More women die of heart disease than the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.
• 1 in 3 American women die of heart disease, compared to 1 in 30 women that die of breast cancer.
• Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
• Eighty percent of cardiac events in women may be prevented if they make the right choices for their hearts, involving diet, exercise and abstinence from smoking.

WHY GO RED?
Research shows that women who Go Red are more likely to make healthy choices.

• More than one-third have lost weight.
• Nearly fifty percent have increased their exercise.
• Six out of ten have changed their diets.
• More than forty percent have checked their cholesterol levels.
• One-third have talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans.

HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
This year, Go Red For Women invites women across the country to Make It Their Mission to fight heart disease.

• TELL 5: Go Red For Women asks you to bring your network into our network. Tell 5 women you want them to live, and we can help stop heart disease in our lifetime.
  • Give 5 women you care about the power to save their lives at GoRedForWomen.org.
• VOLUNTEER: Contact your local American Heart Association office to see how you can get involved with Go Red For Women.
• GIVE: Donate to help fund life-saving research and educational programs that are needed so that our daughters, sisters and mothers have a chance to fight the No.1 killer of women.
• SHOP GO RED: Go to ShopGoRed.org to support education and awareness programs by purchasing Go Red For Women apparel, accessories and other heart-healthy products.
• VISIT GoRedForWomen.org: A premier source of information and education, GoRedForWomen.org is the No. 1 online destination where women can Make It Their Mission to fight heart disease.

– Go Red BetterU: Explore Go Red BetterU, the FREE 12-week online makeover that can change your life.
– Go Red Heart CheckUp: Check out Go Red’s online tool that provides a 10-year, personal heart disease risk assessment.
– Go to GoRedPorTuCorazon.org: Access information in Spanish and to learn about Go Red efforts in the Hispanic community.

For more information about Go Red For Women, visit GoRedForWomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART.

Go Red For Women is sponsored nationally by Macy’s and Merck & Co., Inc.

The main reasons for keeping your child home are:

• He’s too sick to be comfortable at school.
• He might spread a contagious disease to other children.

As a rule of thumb, a child should stay home if he has:

• A fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
• Vomited more than once
• Diarrhea
• A very frequent cough
• Persistent pain (ear, stomach, etc.)
• A widespread rash

Most of these problems need to be discussed with your child’s pediatrician to determine if an office visit is needed. (If your child has frequent complaints of pain that cause school absence, you should consider the possibility that your child is intentionally avoiding school. Bring this to the attention of the child’s doctor before a great deal of school has been missed.)

On the other hand, children who don’t have a fever and only have a mild cough, runny nose or other cold symptoms can be sent to school without any harm to themselves or others. The following guidelines may help in your decision process:

A runny nose is the way many children respond to pollen, dust or a cold virus. Minor cold or allergy symptoms should not be a reason to miss school. Many healthy children have as many as six colds per year, especially in the early school years.

Coughing, especially if it is persistent during the day, can indicate a worsening of cold or allergy symptoms. It may be a sign of a secondary infection (e.g., sinusitis, pneumonia), which may require medical treatment. It may also indicate mild asthma. If your child’s cough is worse than you might expect with a common cold, you need to consult your child’s doctor. You should do so immediately if the child is not acting normal, has a fever or has any difficulty breathing.

Diarrhea and vomiting make children very uncomfortable. A single episode of vomiting, without any other symptoms, may not be reason enough for the child to miss school, but be sure the school can reach you if symptoms occur again during the day. A single episode of watery diarrhea probably warrants not going to school. It could be very embarrassing and uncomfortable for your child to have another episode while in school. If diarrhea or vomiting are frequent or are accompanied by fever, rash or general weakness, consult your child’s doctor and keep the child out of school until the illness passes.

Fever (generally considered to be higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) is an important symptom—especially when it occurs along with a sore throat, nausea or a rash. Your child could have a contagious illness, which could be passed to classmates and teachers. While you can treat the fever, and usually make the child feel better temporarily, the cause of the fever (and the risk of passing it to others) is still there. Children with fever should stay home until there is no fever for 24 hours. Strep throat and scarlet fever are two highly contagious conditions caused by the same bacterial infection. They usually arrive with a sudden complaint of sore throat and fever and often stomachache and headache. With scarlet fever, a rash usually appears within 12 to 48 hours. A child with these symptoms should see his doctor for diagnosis and treatment and should remain out of school until he is without fever and has been on antibiotics for 24 hours.

This general healthcare information should not be used as a substitute or in place of contacting your child’s healthcare provider. If you need further assistance, call 404-250-KIDS to speak to a pediatric nurse. For more information, visit www.choa.org and click on Patient Resources, then select Online Medical Information. Article courtesy of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

So I was delighted to see the person behind the Spoon Theory when Christine shared a video of herself reading her story at a Lupus Symposium. Check it out!

Now that the snow has reached all 50 states but one (can you guess which one?), I thought it would be fun to share a clip from last week’s episode of Saturday Night Live. Now, go build a fire, make some hot chocolate and enjoy some down time. Here in the HOTHlanta we are trying to get back to the normal routine today. Downtime is only fun for so long!

Girl With Watering Can by Renoir

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. ~W.T. Ellis

I was reflecting recently about how much time I spent with my cousins while we were growing up. I remember many a Christmas spent at my grandmother’s house in South Carolina. Seven of us children, our three sets of parents and my grandparents all piled into one house. The childrens’ room contained a three twin beds, each complete with a trundle bed that pulled out from underneath. I remember staring at the wall some nights, staring at one of the paintings hung on her wall. I think it was Renoir’s “Girl with Watering Can”, which is why I was so excited to have grandmother’s canvas now hanging in my own home.

I remember putting on plays for the family with my cousin David with the magic set he got for Christmas. I was the magician’s assistant. I can still visualize a photograph I saw years ago of him wearing his blue, footie pajamas and his magician’s cape.

Another play we performed in grandmother’s den was to tell the Christmas story. I also have a cloudy memory of sitting around the den while the Christmas story was read to us straight from the Bible.

Random images that take me back to their home include the canister of Wise chips on top of the refrigerator, making sugar cookies, grandmother’s use of Crisco, the peacock feathers in the vase in the living room…the list goes on and on. But some of my favorite memories spent in grandmother and grandfather’s home are of Christmas. In an effort to keep the seven children from rushing Santa’s loot in the morning before the parents could wake up, an elf would leave a trail of Hershey’s Kisses between the kids’ room and the den. Then, once in the den the trails would branch off to each child’s pile of gifts. Which brings me to the piles. Santa would leave each of us an unwrapped mound of gifts. A sheet of paper with our name on it would stand in front of the pile. After all, there were seven of us, only two of whom were girls. But I digress. The Hershey’s Kisses succeeded in slowing us down on Christmas morning. All seven of us would stop to pick up candy on our way to the loot. And I’m sure we made enough noise while doing so to wake our parents. I’m guessing that was the point. Another exciting thing to see in the morning was the boot prints that Santa left in the fireplace!

Another fun thing the cousins did was to hold drawing contests. Each of us would grab a pad of paper and wait for instruction. One of the kids or parents would come up with an object, for instance, a horse. We had so much time to draw it before someone would judge which was best. We could play that game forever. I also remember opening one specific gift. I think it was from my parents. I unwrapped a box of Cheerios, to find “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein tucked inside. It was my favorite book! I carried that thing everywhere. Maybe I should buy another copy just because I loved it so much.

Christmas is indeed in the heart and memories can last for years to come. So what are some of your favorite Christmas memories?

I created the woof pack cards to provide friends and caregivers with a way to soothe the blah with humor and hope”, said Angela Shipp, bluehealer® founder. “We offer six unique packs to help you offer support and encouragement for every challenging occasion.”

Woof packs are meant to represent words of encouragement. The backs of each card feature a variety of inspirational sentiments such as hang on, smile, persist, think positive, faith, find balance, attitude and more.

Woof pack cards can slip into a gift basket, lunch box, briefcase, greeting card, notebook, pocket, backpack and more. They are the perfect way to let co-workers, caregivers, family and friends know that they are thought of and to serve as a re¬minder to stay strong throughout difficult times. The same size as a business card, woof packs are small enough to fit in a wallet so that the recipient can carry the sentiment with him or her always.

About bluehealer®

bluehealer® offers unique products and content to raise awareness of chronic illness and wellness issues. It offers products for consumers who are concerned about staying well and who need inspiration and tools to help them manage and feel better about their health and themselves. Bluehealer will help consumers take charge of their experience and become an advocate in their own health care with tools to motivate and support them in their goal to live a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.

Bluehealer’s mission is to improve the lives and outcomes of consumer wellness by providing resources to educate patients about their illness and by providing motivational gifts, thereby empowering them to lead healthier and more satisfying lives.

About the Author

Angela Shipp has learned to balance a hectic career and busy social calendar while staying healthy and organized at the same time. She is the author of bluehealer® diary, a personal command center for family schedules and health journaling. Shipp has also added an inspirational necklace and weekly blog to her product line. The bluehealer® diary can be found at www.bluehealeradiary.com.

The bluehealer® diary is published by Virtualbookworm.com Publishing, one of the most established POD publishers in the industry, having been in business since 2000.

By Lisa Earle McLeod www.forgetperfect.com

Let the gluttony begin.

’Tis the season of sin.  Other families may engage in meaningful religious rituals, but my family is whooping it up at the church of the holy drumstick.

Why settle for a single sip of wine and tasteless wafers when you can have cocktails and cookies all month long?

My family attends church every Sunday, but when the holidays come, what we really worship is food. And a little adulation at the altar of alcohol is a sacred tradition as well.

The devotionals began at Thanksgiving with fatted calf stuffing and a few goblets of wine, followed by a sacrament of chocolate pie topped with ice cream and Kahlua.

It’s a timeless holy trinity of sugar, fat and alcohol, and there’s nothing my family likes better than slopping it up all season long.

However, the revered rituals of my youth no longer serve my newly enlightened self, and I’ve made a vow to change my heathen ways.

Thanks to feeding my soul a steady diet of veggies and Diet Dr Pepper, I’ve lost 10 pounds over the last six months. And I’m determined not to succumb to the temptations of flabby flesh by piling them back.

Yet every time I turn around, someone’s luring me down the path of portliness.

The PTA mommy temptress across the street brought over a holiday basket laden with sugary stuff.

Those soulless neighbors down the block have invited us to an open house where they’ll probably serve up pigs in blankets and a vessel of brandy-laden eggnog.

My parents are cooking up an evil plan to have us over for pecan pie while we exchange gifts.

My wicked children are begging for a gingerbread house and think that Santa deserves an entire tray of butterscotch brownies.

And the most insidious culprit of them all? My minister’s wife and her cunning plot to have our entire church leadership board over for savories and sweets.

Evil has a name and it’s called holiday hospitality.

I’m either fighting off the urge to guzzle and gobble and resenting the heck out of the people who put the goodies in front of me or I succumb to temptation and suffer remorse when the pounds hit my waist.

But I feel so guilty eating or drinking the good stuff that I don’t even enjoy it.

Why is it that every holiday event is organized around food and drink? Did Mary have a smorgasbord in the manger I don’t know about?

Studies show that the average American gains 7 to 10 pounds over the holidays, so clearly I’m not the only one who has trouble staying on the straight and narrow.

In her 10 Commandments of Permanent Fat Removal, Janice Taylor, author of “Our Lady of Weight Loss” (Viking Studio, $19.95) suggests, “Thou shalt not deny thyself a treat or two.”

I know that moderation is the secret of escaping the wrath of excess eating, but it’s hard to remember that when a plate of divinity is calling your name.

So I prayed for a savior and, lo, the angel of the lean came upon me. The angel (Zone Delivery USA Owner Mike Naples) said unto to me, Fear not, behold:

“You will go to parties. You will drink. You will eat unhealthy food. But if you spend 60 percent of the December on the Zone, you will only have two pounds to lose come January instead of five or 10.”

So three wise meals (plus two snacks) came from the East. For unto me was delivered a cooler of lean gourmet fare via www.ZoneDeliveryUSA.com.

And this shall be a sign that I was not meant to wear waddling clothes.

This holiday ye shall find me in a fitted red dress making merry with a multitude of heavenly hosts. And it came to pass, that I found salvation in the season of sin.

I wish you peace on earth and glory to good food in the highest caloric content.

Copyright © 2006 by Lisa Earle McLeod. All Rights reserved.

Lisa Earle McLeod is a nationally recognized speaker and the author of “Forget Perfect: Finding Joy, Meaning, and Satisfaction in the Life You’ve Already Got and the YOU You Already Are.” She has been seen on “Good Morning America” and featured in Lifetime, Glamour and The New York Times. Contact her at www.ForgetPerfect.com.