2

Americans were asked to dip into their wallets to provide help in Haiti, Argentina and China. But where is that money really going?

Prevace Moss in 2008, prior to house arrest.: Photo courtesy of Prevace Moss

After years in and out of detention centers, and under house arrest, 23-year-old Prevace Moss, a convicted criminal, struggles to maintain a job and is looking toward building a music career.  Growing up in a stable family, he entered into a life of crime as a teenager, and now feels there's little room to leave it behind. 

In an economy plagued by historic unemployment and long-term joblessness, it’s probably safe to say you’ve seen them. You may even know one of them.

They are the former lawyers now forced to work part-time behind the McDonald’s food counter. They are the once successful, award-winning journalists that have been out of a job so long, they’re convinced they’ll never get back to work.

Graph: U.S. Dept. of Labor

Facebook poking has become another outlet for flirting online: Photo courtesy of flickr user
Noodle93, Creative Commons Attribution License
Is spring a time for new beginnings — a status held for years, months or mere weeks – and a time to bask in the enjoyment of singledom? Picnics with friends, bike rides to the Washington Monument, ballgames in the sun, barbecues every other weekend – all activities sans significant other. Or is it a time to declare yourself on the prowl, dedicating yourself only to the best of candidates for a soon-to-be-summer love? Each outing to a bar, each casual house party, even a visit to the local ice cream shop is spent intently sightseeing for "the one."

The Virginia Avenue Community Garden. photo by Stephen Weigand

Don't let the 90 degree-plus weather earlier this month fool you. It's still spring in the nation's capital and gardeners in the District are busy clearing planting beds and sowing seeds. 

For the second piece in our series on arts in medicine, we explore how Tai Chi and other arts are helping people cope with their illnesses. Check out the first article here.

LeAnna Struzziery (left) and Sarah Combs, both living with cancer, warm up for a Tai Chi lesson on a recent evening at the Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts: Photo by Naseem Miller

A little girl on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit enjoys a lunchtime serenade by volunteer/intern, Alie Wickham, and musician in residence, Cathy DeWitt: Photo Courtesy of Shands Arts in Medicine

Be it dance, drawing or writing, more and more hospitals and health care facilities are starting to recognize the value of incorporating arts into health care, leading to the rapid growth of the relatively young field.

Arts in Healthcare covers a wide range of areas, including patient care, health care environment, caring for caregivers and community well-being.

Patrick Pressman at work at JR.'s: Photo by Juan Pawiroredjo

Patrick Pressman didn't like the navy's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but wasn't quite sure how to tell.

Tiger Woods was accused of cheating on his wife in late 2009: Photo by Flickr user keithallison
After losing major endorsements, Tiger Woods apologized admitting that he had been "living a lie." He sought counseling at a rehab center in Mississippi and is set to participate in the upcoming Master's Tournament, hoping that the public has forgiven him for his sins.

Nivan Teng, out of prison for almost a year, is working full time and working toward a bachelor's degree: Photo courtesy of Nivan Teng

Taking a break from watching the Discovery Channel, Nivan Teng tells his story of the lifestyle that lead him down a path toward serving out a 2-and-a-half year federal prison sentence.