America Unplugged Podcast

An excerpt from my personal writings. For visuals visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxgYAWI2_K4 Music Credit: No.7 Alone With My Thoughts by Esther Abrami

Steve Stivers Yahoo Article: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gop-congressman-give-1400-stimulus-checks-to-people-who-get-the-covid-19-vaccine-220040418.html Resources: 1. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine - United States, December 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6950e2.htm?s_cid=mm6950e2_w. Published December 17, 2020. Accessed January 22, 2021. 2. Commissioner Oof the. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-frequently-asked-questions. Accessed January 22, 2021. 3. Pfizer and BioNTech Conclude Phase 3 Study of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, Meeting All Primary Efficacy Endpoints. Pfizer. https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-conclude-phase-3-study-covid-19-vaccine. Accessed January 22, 2021. 4. Polack FP, Al. E, for the C4591001 Clinical Trial Group*, et al. Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine: NEJM. New England Journal of Medicine. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577?query=recirc_mostViewed_railB_article. Published December 31, 2020. Accessed January 22, 2021. Pfizer Protocol: https://www.pfizer.com/clinicalprotocol

1. Gessel LM, Fields SK, Collins CL, Dick RW, Comstock RD. Concussions among United States high school and collegiate athletes. J Athl Train. 2007 Oct-Dec;42(4):495-503. PMID: 18174937; PMCID: PMC2140075. 2. Lincoln A, Caswell S, Almquist J, Dunn R, Norris J, Hinton R. "Trends in Concussion Incidence in High School Sports: A Prospective 11-Year Study" Am. J. Sports Med. 30(10) (2011), accessed January 31, 2011 @ http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/01/29/0363546510392326.full.pdf+html Published March 14, 2011; revised August 22, 2011 3. Ferguson RW. Safe Kids Worldwide Analysis of CPSC NEISS data, 2013, cited in Ferguson RW, Green A, Hansen LM. Game Changers: Stats, Stories and What Communities Are Doing to Protect Young Athletes.  Washington, DC: Safe Kids Worldwide, August 2013. 4. Marta CC, Marinho DA, Barbosa TM, Izquierdo M, Marques MC. Physical fitness differences between prepubescent boys and girls. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Jul;26(7):1756-66. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825bb4aa. PMID: 22561975. Direct Link to Executive Order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-preventing-and-combating-discrimination-on-basis-of-gender-identity-or-sexual-orientation/ *The following is an opinion piece not intended to discriminate based on gender or sexual orientation. The purpose of this video is to point out the potential risks of letting the pediatric population participate in gender neutral sports at the competitive level. This executive order could put young athletes at higher risk of injury due to the physical differences between the male and female genders.

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/coretta-scott

Resources: 1. Absent Father Statistics. National Fatherhood Initiative. https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic 2. William Pollock, Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1998) 3. NICHD early child care research network. (2003). early child care and mother-child interaction from 36 months through first grade. Infant Behavior and Development, 26, 345-370. 4. Becker, P., & Moen, P. (1999). Scaling Back: Dual-Earner Couples' Work-Family Strategies. Journal of Marriage and Family, 61(4), 995-1007. doi:10.2307/354019 A major thank you to Dr. James Dobson's book: bringing up BOYS for inspiring this podcast and providing some of its resources.

Systemic Racism. White Privilege. Oppression.  These are some of the arguments made today in efforts to explain the wealth gap between White and Hispanic / Black Americans. But, what if this gap has nothing to do with race at all? Does the oppression from 20th century segregation laws impact minority communities today? If not, what are the factors that truly hold back the overall success of minority communities?

It's time to WAKE UP and UNPLUG AMERICA! Things will ONLY get worse moving forward. No ads, no promoting. Just LISTEN. 

References: 1. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm 2. Continued Education Corner. The risks of social isolation. The American Psychological Association. 2019, Vol 50(5) 32. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation 3. Association for Psychological Science. Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2015, Vol. 10(2) 227–237. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1745691614568352 4. Maier, Scott. Physical Activity Dropped Worldwide During COVID-19, Raising Concerns for Health. University of California San Francisco Research. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/07/417951/physical-activity-dropped-worldwide-during-covid-19-raising-concerns-health 5. Geoffrey H. Tison, Robert Avram, Peter Kuhar, et al. Worldwide Effect of COVID-19 on Physical Activity: A Descriptive Study. Ann Intern Med. 2020;173:767-770. https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-2665 6. Woods JA, Hutchinson NT, Powers SK, et al. The COVID-19 pandemic and physical activity. Sports Medicine and Health Science. 2020;2(2):55-64. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2020.05.006. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7261095/#!po=58.3333 7. Howell, T. Ryan, Ph.D. Why Be Spiritual? Five Benefits of Spirituality. Psychology Today. 2013. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cant-buy-happiness/201302/why-be-spiritual-five-benefits-spirituality

On the 2nd episode of America Unplugged, we dive into today's electronic world. It's considered general knowledge that the misuse of technology through social media platforms and other unproductive activities can lead to a number of health and psychological concerns; but, what if parents knew that they would be causing significant damage to their children's neurocognitive development in addition to social, physical, and other developmental factors? Early data from an NIH Study indicates that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than 7 hours of screen-time daily experienced THINNING of the brain's cortex - the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.(1) Listen in as host and public health expert Manny dives into this article review, how society has shifted away from what is actually healthy for our children, and his opinion on proper parenting. This is Unplugged America. Article referenced: 1. . New York-Presbyterian. What Does Too Much Screen Time Do to Children's Brains? Health Matters: Stories of Science, Care & Wellness. https://healthmatters.nyp.org/what-does-too-much-screen-time-do-to-childrens-brains/

We're all American, and we need to unite. Let's discuss conversations that people want to avoid, because without doing so our future looks dark. Political division Gender wars Identity politics Tribalism These are distractions to keep us fighting amongst ourselves while Big Tech, media, major corporations, and corrupt politicians get their way at the expense of the American people. We all share the same goal: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's time for Americans to unite, regardless of our differences. We're all in this together, regardless of gender, race, age, political affiliation, or any other category we choose to throw ourselves under.  The host, Manny, is a 32 year old Hispanic American whose parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic. He grew up in poverty, was influenced by many of the things affecting minority youth today, and broke out of the cycle. He is now happily married, has two kids (with a 3rd on the way), and takes pride in being a leader, provider, and protector. Manny earned a graduate degree in public health and has chosen a career focused on helping target populations overcome adversity and thrive.  Manny openly falls independent on the political spectrum, but adopted conservative principles in his personal life. As a left-leaning Democrat most of his life, Manny understands the perspectives of half of the population but does not turn these ideas away; rather, Manny calls for unity and bipartisanship so that the American people can overcome and thrive together. He believes that we all have common enemies in the press, social media platforms, and corrupt politicians that keep the American people divided and distracted.  Enough is enough. This podcast is a call for unity.  It's time for America to unplug. *Song Credit: New Front (makaih.com) by Makaih Beats