Reborn Dolls are vinyl dolls that are repurposed by manufacturers who employ re-doll artists to transform them into women’s dream babies.

I believe the best purpose for these dolls is to help people thinking about or getting ready for a new baby. Research has also shown that holding a baby has a hormonal calming affect particularly in women who suffer from anxiety (Not due to the loss of a real baby).

However, after watching a recent Today show piece featuring women who often own not one doll but several dolls in the various states of aging. One woman’s obsession was so extreme that she had acquired 16 Reborn Dolls and her husband built a nursery for them.

As I watched, I realized these women had one commonality they were all middle-aged. Many of these women were empty nesters, feared aging or denial of their feelings at the loss of their reproductive years. These women carry their dolls in baskets, car seats and baby carriages. They dress them and build their life around them.

If you see yourself as anyone of these women than seek the assistance of friends, family, psychotherapy or join a support group. You need to create new coping strategies and re-evaluate your relationship with yourself and your significant other. Go to counseling, travel or get a job but, get out of denial and embrace the transition to a new stage of your life.

Better than that spend your time and energy into volunteering at a hospital were real babies need to be held.

Baby boom: Lifelike ‘reborn dolls’ gain popularity
video.today.msnbc.msn.com
Video on TODAY.com: American doll collectors are seeking out “reborns,” realistic baby dolls that come with birth or adoption certificates, and some are taking collecting to an extreme.

Thanks Harvey for the conversation. It’s much appreciated. Stay in touch.

I am not saying be an idiot and don’t take precautions. But, this is a case someone may have at least tried to step up. Maybe, I have a different experience having grown up in foster care, mixed race and on Welfare. I grew were you don’t just close the blinds when something is happening in the moment. I’m a street kid from NY. I have 3 brothers and I have asked each one what would they have done they all said they would go check out what is happening when someone is screaming help. I did not say jump in and try to be a hero.

However, too many people are afraid of conflict, confrontation or just don’t want to be bothered. On the show, “What would you do?” 100 people stepped over a man in the middle of the sidewalk. An elderly woman who was a stranger to the man kept pleading for someone to help the man. Finally, a woman stopped and asked what was going on. It was as simple as a cell phone call to 911 for the man to go to the hospital. My point is it doesn’t have to be as extreme as the murder of Trayvon but if someone is yelling help don’t assume someone else will take care of it.

I don’t expect all people to have courage under fire. Absolutely, we are all human. But, I think it’s time to at least have a dialogue. More people need to realize they are not automatic victims or keep their head down. This affects people in all areas of their lives. I am not trying to be righteous or machisma I am asking people to be more thoughtful of others and help where they can.

I found some of the calls that came into the police disturbing. One man blatantly told the 911 operator that he was listening to a young man yelling for “help”. In the background of the call we hear Trayvon pleading for help. The man goes on to tell the Operator that he is staying inside and locking his doors.

What if that was your brother, son, father, grandchild… pleading for their life would you do nothing. Would you want know one to at least make the effort, beyond a call to 911, to try to help in the moment. It could have simply been going out on the porch or door with a baseball bat demanding to know “What is going on?” I have no doubt there will be many or some who will disagree. But, if you were in my neighborhood or anyone for that matter you bet I would take my stun gun for safety and go check it out.

Retired cop’s lifesaving catch in Queens fire
www.nypost.com
A retired NYPD cop made the catch of his life early yesterday — saving a baby whose mom had dropped him from a window of a burning home in Queens.

My heart goes out to both his family and friends. Treyvon will surely be missed, but never forgotten.

Make it an Excuse Free Life!

Unfortunately for Chris, fame and fortune came much too soon. He was thrust into the limelight before he had the time or tools to come to terms with his past and to deal with his anger. Instead, he has to learn under the media and public’s watchful eye. What Chris needs is a steady hand; he needs to surround himself with positive role models in the industry who can challenge him to be a better person and help him identify the real priorities in his life. He needs to create coping strategies to manage his anger, and he needs to diligently be aware of his natural impulses. His anger can lessen over the years, but it won’t go away. With ongoing treatment, he will learn to distinguish when his anger is an appropriate response to a given situation and not a knee-jerk reaction.

In order for him to mature and to have any sort of healthy relationship – whether that is with friends or with a significant other, he must learn to manage his emotions and distinguish between what reactions are justifiable and what is governed by impulse.

Moreover, as entertainment news does indeed report, Rihanna and Chris are on speaking terms again. This is a private matter on any scale, but it does have public repercussions. There are many young girls and boys who look up to and admire both Rihanna and Chris. The message both Chris and Rihanna are sending by Rihanna singing on his record, their fans – including these many young, easily influenced children – begin to see acts such as domestic violence as “not serious” and “easily dismissed.” There is no shortage of great talent in the music industry to do this record now shows a lack of good judgment not only on their part but, on their managers and producers parts as well.

The big story the media is missing is not the Grammy’s, or even a young celebrity’s crazy temperament, but instead the importance of individuals coping with their pain. Chris Brown might be a celebrity, yes, but he’s also just another human being who needs guidance. His is a very public lesson for everyone who has a past, who has emotional reactions, and who needs to learn how to deal with them.

Whether you externalize your pain – like Chris – or internalize it – like me – it can cause severe damage to you and those around you. But if you’re willing to confront these problems head on, you can begin to lead a life that isn’t dominated by anger and pain. You can one day take the proverbial stage, receive applause, and know it’s well deserved.

At the mere age of twenty-two, Chris Brown is once again headline news. At nineteen years old, when his beating of Rihanna became public fodder, he gained the title domestic violence abuser before he could legally drink alcohol. It was the visible start of a pattern that would only erupt further. In December 2010, he made disparaging remarks related to molestation and the gay community, while explicitly throwing around the “N” word. In 2011, he infamously threw a chair at a Good Morning America window and destroyed his dressing room.

These are but a few of the many episodes where Chris demonstrated his impulsive reactions and clear problems with anger. As a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and Marriage Family Therapist, it’s easy to key in on Chris’ issues – his severe anger management problems and his tremendous need to develop coping mechanisms – but more so, it’s easy to see why they continue to proliferate.

The key chord in Chris’ story is celebrity. The problem with fame and talent is that they don’t often speak truth into a person’s life. Celebrity excuses and tolerates abhorrent behavior on an astronomical scale. When you’re in the limelight, there is always someone who is willing to love you, adore you, and praise you no matter what. It’s exceedingly difficult to find honest people who truly care about you enough to say what you need to hear.

When you consider Chris performing on the Grammys, you see a clear indicator of celebrity priority. In the entertainment world, Chris’ talent and fame trumps his lack of moral fiber. The Grammy’s viewership and donor base made the call: it’s more important to be entertained than to be ethical. If he were in the real world and had so recently committed an act of domestic and physical violence, how quickly do you think his neighbors, friends, and family would be to sweep him in and put him in a position of praise? Instead of being set to the side, the Grammys chose to let him perform, sending out a message that seems to endorse the wrong values and – just as importantly – encourages Chris to only continue to act the way he has grown used to: impulsively and dangerously. If there is no punishment, after all, there must be no crime.

If the Grammy’s and other televised shows wish to show case Chris as their headliner at least make the effort to let the viewing audience know that this is the year they are putting more funds and efforts into helping domestic violence victims and perpetrators rehabilitate. Since the Grammy’s supports a number of charity’s the least they can do this year is make this their number one priority partnering with Chris Brown to send the right message. Domestic Violence is unacceptable and requires on-going anger management treatment to be eradicated.