Depression Among Oklahoma's Youth

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), major depression is a medical illness that affects thoughts, feelings, behavior, mood, and physical health. Also known as clinical depression, major depressive illness, major affective disorder, and unipolar mood disorder, major depression affects five to eight percent of the United States adult population. According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSBS), by comparison 10... Read More

Starbucks Helped Me 'See It'

During a recent weekend visit to a local Starbucks Coffee Shop, an ordered Caffè Mocha reached my hand wrapped in an insightful comment. There, featured on the outside of the cup, was a quote from an American author. The printed statement appears below: The Way I See It #51 Americans spend an average of 29 hours a week watching television — which means in a typical life span we devote 13 uninterrupted years to our TV sets! The biggest problem with mass media isn’t... Read More

Toy & Action Figure Museum: Behind-The-Scenes

This is part-two of a three-part series; click here for part-one. According to information released by the Toy & Action Figure Museum of Pauls Valley, Okla., there are thousands of action figures housed in the one-of-a-kind museum. Listed as the world’s only action figure museum and one of Oklahoma’s top-10 attractions, the Toy & Action Figure Museum is a work in progress. “The museum has changed so much from when (it) first opened,” said Josh... Read More

Toy & Action Figure Museum: Bedroom Collection

Less than four years since its inception, the Toy & Action Figure Museum of Pauls Valley, Okla., continues to draw travelers from across town and around the world. To date, the museum as hosted over 40,000 visitors from the United States; in addition to numerous foreign lands. The 6,650-square foot structure is located in a community of 6,000-plus alongside a brick-paved street, which also doubles as a portion of Oklahoma State Highway 77. “We’ve had visitors... Read More

A Nation With a Number, pt.2

This is part-two of a two-part series; click here for part-one. In “The Future Is Mobile“, Dave Browning of Christ the King Community Church is reported to have said that Africa’s Internet access is limited; however, the majority of the continent’s populace has a cell phone. According to Wikipedia.org, Africa’s population is projected to reach one billion people before next year. Research conducted by Edelman reveals that 90 percent of Americans... Read More

A Nation With a Number

According to Switched.com, 250 million Americans were subscribers to some form of cellular telephone service in November 2007. At that time, those numbers equated to approximately 82.4 percent of the entire United States population. Effective January 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau’s population clock for America registered over 305 million residents. So even by today’s figures, approximately 82 percent of Americans still have some form of cell phone contact to include:... Read More

Mexi-homa: The New Oklahoma (pt.4)

Introduction Nation State Community As a Garvin County (Okla.) resident for 23 years—six of those years in Pauls Valley—I have observed firsthand the growth of the Hispanic/Mexican population in this city. Observations such as: the introduction of a local grocers in-store Hispanic foods display, the addition of two Mexican-style restaurants, the designation of a full-time junior high Spanish teacher, and the establishment of a second Spanish-speaking church According... Read More

Mexi-homa: The New Oklahoma (pt.3)

Introduction Nation State Community Recent figures released by the United States Census Bureau suggest a shift in the demographics of Oklahoma’s youth population. The Tulsa World reported on the findings in 2007, and included an explanation of the data’s potential outcome. “The makeup of the state’s young population is changing from mostly white to frequently Hispanic,” the newspaper states. “If the pace continues, at least a quarter of Oklahoma... Read More

Mexi-homa: The New Oklahoma (pt.2)

Introduction Nation State Community The San Francisco Chronicle reported two years ago that—in 2006—the number of Mexican immigrants entering the United States was at an all-time high. According to the newspaper, 15 percent of Mexico’s work force is currently employed in the US. Further, 1-in-7 Mexican laborers migrates across the Mexico/US Border. “Mass migration from Mexico began more than a century ago,” the Chronicle reports. “It... Read More

Mexi-homa: The New Oklahoma

Introduction Nation State Community Today begins the series, Mexi-homa: The New Oklahoma, with an introduction of the four-part series focused on the presence of Mexican culture within America’s communities. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, roughly 10 percent of Mexico’s 107 million people now live within the United States. The influx of immigrants from Mexico to the US dates back more than a century, and the Chronicle reports that the practice continues... Read More