Make a Sound Choice

TRAININGS & EVENTS COMING SOON….

masc — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:40:03 +0000

New Educator Training

Bismarck, ND – Kelly Inn

June 10 – 11, 2010

Space is limited…CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Graduate Credit APPROVED from NDSU ($50 fee to be paid by attendees)

Meals and materials provide free of charge.

Booster Training

Fargo, ND – Oak Grove High School

June 7 – 8, 2010

Space is limited…CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM

Graduate Credit APPROVED from NDSU ($50 fee to be paid by attendees)

Topics:

• The Culture of Dating & Marriage in America

• Oxcytocin Related to Bonding During Sexual Activity

• Consequences of STDs (Chlamydia)

• Birth Control Use Among Adolescent Females

Youth In Action: Lead by Example

Fargo, ND – Oak Grove High School

September 29, 2010

Space is limited…CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM

9am-3pm (registration beginning at 8am)

Challenging the Scientific “Priesthood” on World AIDS Day

masc — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:47:10 +0000

Today’s (12/1/09) New York Times article by John Tierney, “E-Mail Fracas Shows Peril of Trying to Spin Science,” points to the self-serving efforts of British climate scientists to block perfectly legitimate requests by other scientists to see the raw climate data on which their public proclamations about man-made global warming were based as well as their “plotting revenge against those who question the dangers of global warming” and planning “retaliation against the journal and the editor” who dared to publish a skeptic’s paper.

As any 9th grade science student knows, silencing of other points of view and ad hominem attacks are the opposite of the open debate and access to raw data that is essential to true scientific debate and progress.

But, on World AIDS Day, it’s important for us to realize that man-made global warming is not the only sphere where official dogma reigns, or where suppression/misrepresentation of data and alternative viewpoints are practiced.

Consider the suppression by leading journals and UNAIDS of reports and articles by researchers like Ted Green and Norman Hearst showing that the condom strategy for reducing the spread of AIDS in generalized epidemics such as exist in sub-Saharan Africa was failing and that the ABc approach emphasizing abstinence for youth and monogamy/partner reduction among the sexually active was having lifesaving success in reducing the prevalence of HIV infections in Uganda by two thirds (from 15% to 5%). The stubborn and blind refusal to consider a new approach because of political or ideological agendas in the U.S. and at the United Nations has contributed to the deaths of millions of Africans.

The recent CDC report “Group-based Interventions to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancy, HIV, and Other STDs,” which stated the effectiveness of programs that include condom instruction, is another example of agenda-driven science, released just in time to affect proposals in Congress to cut funding for abstinence education programs and to shift it to “evidence-based” programs that promote condom use.

The CDC refuses to release the underlying statistics for public scrutiny by other scientists. Sound familiar?

In the supposedly open and democratic West, which prides itself on basing public policy on evidence, reason and legitimate science, that shouldn’t be acceptable, but most of the media docilely accepts pronouncements from experts whose proclamations we are supposed to accept on faith. Shame on the “scientific priesthood,” shame on much of the media and shame on us for allowing unexamined claims and half-truths to endanger the physical and emotional health and lives of youth in this country and around the world.

Richard Panzer, Ph.D.
Moderator and Director
Free Teens USA

A.C. Green Update

masc — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:50:04 +0000

A.C. Green is known for two things: He is the NBA’s “Iron Man,” playing in a record 1,192 consecutive games over the course of his distinguished career. And is the league’s most famous virgin. It’s hard to even imagine who might be the runner-up in that category. CLICK HERE for the entire article. Be sure to visit the A.C. Green Foundation www.acgreen.com.

Violence Against Women and Girls Explodes on Television

masc — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:44:37 +0000

Recent news stories have focused on the tremendous advances women have made in society. But there’s bad news too: The Parents Television Council reports that women and girls are victimized more often and more brutally in television programming than ever before. CLICK HERE to read the entire article at Townhall.com

- Rebecca Hagelin (www.Townhall.com, Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Honoring a 34 year-old Celebrity Marriage

masc — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:27:26 +0000

Lisa Niemi, Patrick Swayze’s wife of 34 years, told a women’s conference Tuesday that the loss of her husband just six weeks ago “is like an animal all of its own” and the sadness could be felt “on a cellular level.” PEOPLE reports that Niemi spoke in a roundtable on Grief, Healing and Resilience at the Women’s Conference 2009 in Long Beach, California. Niemi told the attendees, “When the grief takes you, it’s like your body is not your own. I’m just going with the flow. I know I have to go through it.”

Niemi, speaking for the first time since Swayze’s death in September, said that she never left her husband’s side during the last months of his life. She admitted, “I’ve spent two thirds of my life with him. … My regret is that I didn’t tell him that I loved him enough over that entire 34 years.”

“I am so grateful for what I had and my connection to him, and part of me believes that I will see him again,” added Niemi, “and I’m just going to have to go on until then.”
Swayze’s widow explained that her friends are instrumental in keeping her afloat. “I have a few girlfriends that are just amazing.

They have made themselves available to me 24/7. They say, ‘We don’t care if it’s 2 in the morning, call me’,” she said. “I was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack one evening … and I picked up the phone and called one, which is really hard for me to do because I’m used to being so self-sufficient and taking care of myself, but the very act of picking the phone up to call someone helped to calm me.”

Niemi and Swayze met as teenagers at his mother’s dance studio, and their marriage became one of the most enduring relationships in Hollywood. Swayze passed away at age 57 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Taken from – www.popeater.com

ND & MN in Bottom 1/3 of States w/ Teen Pregnancies

masc — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:19:34 +0000

A March 2009 Child Trends Research Brief revealed that North Dakota and Minnesota rank in the bottom third of states nationwide of the percentage of teens estimated to become teen mothers. The good news is, in a break-down of numbers, the teens ages 15-17 have lower numbers than the 18 -19 year-old. In both states the numbers are lower by just over two-thirds. This is the age parents, when, in general, your kids are still at home. Talk to them about how proud you are of them in the good decisions they are making and ask them how you can be of assistance in helping them make healthy choices. They need and, by their own self-reports, want your guidance.

The group that flounders more is the teens ages 18-19. Their pregnancy rates jump by just over two-thirds in both states. This is the “moving out of the house” stage, where freedom and independence are experienced much differently than when they are living at home. This group of teens still needs their parents. Don’t stop the conversations with them about healthy choices! Whether they are in the work force, military, college, or volunteering for the year, keep up the conversations with them! Young adults need the support of their parents, even if they have “moved on.” This time in their lives is critical to their health as an adult. This time is also critical to their health for future marriages, jobs, and children. The good news is we have the ability to lower the numbers for this set of teens too. The benefits of abstinence until marriage don’t stop once they are past graduation age! Keep the lines of communication open to them during this time of change. These wonderful people, our kids, are too important “to let go of,” even if they have “moved on.”

Good news! Monogamy is back in style!

masc — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:16:24 +0000

A new study from Alliant International University in San Francisco finds that people are having fewer affairs now than they did in 1975. At that time, the rate of infidelity among heterosexual couples was around 25%.

Now, straight men report cheating 14.7% of the time and straight women report cheating 13.5% of the time. There is obviously still work to be done – but the numbers are headed in the right direction.

Volunteer Opportunities

masc — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:26:54 +0000

As a non-profit, we are always in need of interns and volunteers to help with our work. Come and help us communicate healthy relationships and avoidance of high risk behaviors in our region. Interns and volunteers can help with: organizing special events, trainings, and youth activities; materials marketing; graphic design; developing educational presentations; press releases and articles; website content and blogs; and with other office-related tasks such as filing, putting away inventory, packing and shipping. As interns you will learn about healthy relationships, as well as skills that are essential for success in any organization. As volunteers, you can become an important piece of the puzzle in helping educate our region on healthy relationships and decision making, as well as help to further a good cause. Contact us by email at info@makeasoundchoice.com to find out more on how you can help.

Youth In Action

masc — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:04:58 +0000

The first annual Youth in Action was a smashing success! With over 200 in attendance the room was full of energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. Stay tuned for details for the second annual Youth in Action to be held in September 2010.

Virginia Foxx Asks a Tough Question!

masc — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:27:20 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.