“Birds of a feather flock together”. This simply means that similar people tend to associate with each other. If this is true, take a moment and evaluate the people you associate with on a regular basis. What does the company you keep say about you? Does the company you keep help you or hurt you?

Creations Presents: Lil Princess Debutantes and Little Kings. As time changes. We need to encourage manners and etiquette back into our children. Devine Creations Debutante/Cotillions currently is registering young ladies and young men ages 8-10 years of age, into our Debutante/Cotillion Court for 2010-2011.

Become a certified etiquette instructor. Teach etiquette to young children in your community. If you are a makeup artist,teacher,image consultant. This workshop is for you.

World heavyweight boxing champion and businessman George Forman will address the University of St. Thomas 2010 graduating class about “Success with Integrity,” at the 60th Commencement Ceremony, to be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15 at Reliant Arena. The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of 305 undergraduates and 320 graduate students. Commencement will be preceded by a Baccalaureate Mass held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 14 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 Saint Joseph Pkwy. The Mass is followed by a reception held on the UST campus. Nicole Keith will take the stage as the student commencement speaker. She is a communication major and theology minor from Pearland. Her speech is titled, “A Generation of Possibility.” Honorary doctorates will be given to David M. McClanahan, President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy, and Dr. Joseph McFadden, University of St. Thomas President Emeritus. McClanahan previously served as Chairman of the UST Board of Directors from 1998-2002. The Vincent J. Guinan Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Vincent D’Amico, class of 1952. A video of the UST Commencement Ceremony will be streamed live on the UST Web site the during the ceremony beginning at approximately 10 a.m. ###

With a curtsy and a smile 10 young ladies are presented to Houston's society.

AUSTIN– Austin Children’s Shelter recently paid tribute to Newton Isaac Collins Sr. Collins was a freed slave from Birmingham, Ala. who settled in Manor, Texas in 1863, where he was re-enslaved. After the Civil War, Collins received his freedom and became a carpenter and construction business owner, purchasing about 92 acres in 1872 in what is now East Austin. In 1891, he traded a portion of his property to buy 506 acres of farmland in Pilot Knob, near what is now known as McKinney Falls State Park. Information about Collins was discovered by Ada C. Anderson, 88, (his great granddaughter).

There were exchanges made in body language and tone of voice by both President Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. One could easily surmise traces of bad blood still resonating between them. President Obama had to remind John McCain they were no longer in campaign mode. The embarrassed John McCain understood the acrimonious comment as he bristled and became red-faced.

DENVER, CO– The National Black Business Information Clearinghouse (www.BlackBic.org) recently joined the BIC family of entrepreneurial web sites that are dedicated to ensuring the success of small business owners.

The Black BIC web site, which is free to  use,  provides Black Entrepreneurs national and local resources  on accessing money, managing and marketing a small business, Procurement, tips on Technology,  Demographic information and local information on permits,   licensing, economic development etc.  

Additionally, the web site contains research on small business and training videos on financing, networking and business development.

Black men suffer far worse health than any other racial group in America. There are a number of reasons for this. They include racial discrimination, a lack of affordable health services, poor health education, cultural barriers, poverty, employment that does not carry health insurance, insufficient medical and social services catering for Black men.

• The life expectancy for a Black male child born in 2004 is 69.5 years, compared with 75.7 years for White males born the same year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

• Black men are more likely to get and die from prostate cancer than men of any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• A Black man has a 1-in-5 chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime and a 1-in-20 chance of dying from the disease.

• Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for Black men, behind lung cancer.

• About 42 percent of Black men have high blood pressure, compared with 31 percent of White men, according to the American Heart Association.

• Cardiovascular disease overall was also more prevalent among Black men — 41 percent, compared with about 34 percent of White men.

• 45 percent of African American men do not have a doctor they see regularly.

• 28 percent of African Americans are uninsured, compared to 17 percent of Whites

The relationship between diabetes and heart disease should not be ignored, according to an expert at Baylor College of Medicine.
“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with diabetes, and diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease in America,” said Dr. Alan Garber, professor of medicine in the section of endocrinology at BCM.

African-Americans are especially at risk. The Office of Minority Health reports African-American adults are less likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease, however they are more likely to die from heart disease.

In fact, in 2006, African-American men were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease, as compared to non-Hispanic White men.
Additionally, the Office of Minority Health reports African-Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic Whites. Although African-Americans have the same or lower rate of high cholesterol as their non-Hispanic White counterparts, they are more likely to have high blood pressure.
To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, patients with diabetes must maintain an exceptionally low level of LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol, and a lower target blood pressure.

To do this, they must incorporate a heart healthy diet with their diabetes diet of low calories and sugars. A heart healthy diet includes reducing saturated fats.
“Maintaining cholesterol and blood pressure levels is a must for patients with diabetes, “Garber said. “It’s critical that they get hold of this.”
Garber also says that medication is key in helping control diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure.

“Diet and exercise help, but statin drugs should be used to help control high cholesterol, and medication for high blood pressure should also be taken,” said Garber.
Garber recommends checking with your physician before starting an exercise routine, and working closely with the physician to develop a treatment plan.
In terms of diabetes, Garber says that by the time someone is diagnosed with the disease, they only have half of their pancreatic insulin secretion capacity, so medication is required for what the pancreas can no longer do.