Christa Avampato's Blog, page 13

Campaign communications are bringing the fun and rallying voters

Image by Swifties4Kamala.com

Something fascinating and fantastic is happening with campaign communications in 2024 and it warms my story loving heart. In the past, voters have rallied around their political party, social issues, geography, and demographics such as age, race, religion, and ethnicity. This year we’re seeing people rally around their interests, passions, and affinities in support of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. From comedy and food to pets and music, there is a group for all of us. These groups and their respective Zoom events are using trusted messengers — people with whom we share a common bond and who make us feel safe—to relate to voters on a personal level. 

This week I went to two online incredible online events: Swifties for Kamala organized by Taylor Swift fans and Cooking for Kamala organized by professional celebrity chefs. (They were both recorded so you can watch them at the links below.) Swifties raised over $144,000 and the chefs raised over $225,000 from event attendees. They got people registered to vote, helped people check their voter registration, talked about issues related to their interests (in these cases, corporate monopolies like Ticketmaster and food security, respectively), provided resources for people to volunteer on the campaign to knock on doors, send postcards, make phone calls, combat disinformation and misinformation, and most importantly activate their friends, family members, and communities to turn out the vote this November. 

Swifties for Kamala has a full website, social media accounts, merch for the cause, friendship bracelets (of course!) and a newsletter called Paint the Town Blue where they are continuing to activate their community after the event. What’s even more impressive about Swifties for Kamala is that it’s organized and run only by fans, not celebrities. Taylor herself is not involved, and they had Senator Elizabeth Warren and Carole King attend the event as special guests.

Collectively, all these affinity events and efforts are also doing the important work of reminding all of us that politics is about people and policies. It’s personal. It’s about who we are and who we want to be. It’s about how we live together in community, in harmony. It’s about the world we’re building for ourselves and future generations. While disagreements will inevitably happen, politics can only be effective if it’s about unity and open, clear communications. These affinity events are putting the heart back into government, and they’re giving us hope. 

Some media outlets have said joy is not a strategy. These events show joy is not only a strategy; it’s also a way of being and doing. And it’s working. 

Swifties for Kamala website, social media accounts, and event rewatch:
https://swifties4kamala.com/
https://linktr.ee/swifties4kamala
https://www.youtube.com/live/r9lQlWzQLPQ

Cooking for Kamala event rewatch:
https://pages.hovercast.live/cooking-for-kamala/live

How to get microplastics out of your body

Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash

0.5% of human brain weight today is from microplastics, according to the latest scientific research. It’s also collecting in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow. It contributes to cardiovascular disease, infertility, memory loss, and learning impairment.

These are frightening statistics, and there we can do something about it TODAY to protect ourselves and our families. Many of the answers are in our kitchens. An article in the New York Times interviewed 3 medical doctors and a research scientist about how to reduce our exposure.

1.) Eliminate plastic bottled water (and I’d add eliminate paper to-go cups because they have a plastic lining, especially for hot coffee). Instead, use metal, silicone, or glass to store your water.

2.) Have effective water filtration at home. Brita’s elite filter is a good choice.

3.) Don’t cook with utensils such as plastic spatulas or plastic mixing spoons. Use silicone, wood, or metal.

4.) Don’t store any food or drinks in plastic (especially if they are acidic or warm). Even if they come in plastic from the grocery store, take them out of the plastic when you get home and store in glass, metal, or silicone. Never leave food or drink in plastic exposed to heat (such as in a car).

5.) Don’t reuse packaged food containers you may have like those from butter, yogurt, etc. to store food. Put those right into the recycling bin.

6.) Don’t microwave plastic, no matter what the packaging says is okay.

7.) Hand wash plastic rather than running it through the dishwasher, and use cold water to wash it, no matter what the packaging says is okay.

8.) Replace your plastic cutting boards with wood or bamboo cutting boards.

9.) I would also add don’t eat with plastic utensils, plastic bowls or plates, or paper plates that have a plastic coating on them.

10.) Filter your air at home and vacuum regularly to remove microplastics that enter our home from the air and that we track in from outside.

It’s unfortunate that completely eliminating exposure to microplastics in our modern world is nearly impossible until we have safe, alternative materials to fossil fuel-based plastic. What we can do is limit our exposure as much as possible with these tips.

New data shows Europe has more cancer incidence and mortality than the U.S.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash. “KRAS Protein Structure. RAS genes are mutated in approximately one-third of all human cancers.”

Did you know cancer incidence and cancer mortality rates are higher in Europe than the U.S.? I was shocked to learn this since I often hear the exact opposite. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer compiled a study of 2022 data and the disparities cross the world are stark. Considering men and women, and all types of cancer, Europe had 4,471,422 cases in 2022 (22.4% of global cancer cases) and the U.S. had 1,832,550 cases (9.8%). When looking at mortality from cancer, the picture is even more disparate: Europe 1,972,982 (20.4%) and the U.S. 600,970 (6.2%). This ranking holds even when standardized for age. 

As a cancer survivor and advocate, I spend a lot of time poring through statistics. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of about cancer disparity between countries. I was prompted to investigate this after a cancer survivor in Canada told me one of the medications I took to prevent recurrence (Verzenio) is only available in Canada to those who have much more advanced cases than I had. 

Why are there global disparities between Europe and the U.S.? 3 main reasons: 

1.) U.S. Medicare covers cancer screening and treatments more generously
Once Americans hit age 65, they receive Medicare benefits. Since cancer afflicts more people over 65, they have access to benefits like cancer screening and treatments such as immunotherapy and clinical trials through Medicare. These Medicare benefits in the U.S. are more generous than those in Europe. This means cancer is caught earlier and there are many more options for treatments in the U.S. Both of these factors help detect and treat cancer more effectively.

Is Medicare perfect? No. It can and must be improved. In the case of cancer, it’s actually doing well when compared to care and coverage in Europe.

Smoking rates
We’ve heard it for decades now: smoking increases the risk of many types of cancer. In Europe, 26% of the population aged 15 and over smokes daily. In the U.S., 11.5% smoke either daily or some days. 

The U.S. market and government structure prompts cancer research and treatment development
Cancer research and treatment development requires significant financial investment because only 13.8% of medications make it through the first phase of clinical trials. To get the scale they need to conduct and fund cancer research, European countries need to collaborate. 

However, each country maintains its own regulatory policies, procedures, and data collection and analysis processes for cancer treatment. To collaborate they need to agree on these policies, procedures, and processes, and they must agree to share data, which has proven difficult. This causes delays and the scrapping of research projects. 

The U.S. regulatory system grinds slowly as well. Still, it needs only to contend with itself, not with another country’s issues. 

A global vision for cancer detection and treatment
As a cancer survivor, it’s been challenging and emotional for me to consider all of this global data. I’m privileged that I live in New York City, I had insurance through the Affordable Care Act when I went through my cancer diagnosis and active treatment, and have access to the best cancer care in the world. Had I lived anywhere else, my cancer likely would have gone undetected until a later stage. I may not have had access to the many treatments I’ve had (and will continue to have for another 7 years). 

There is a lot of hope and promise in the Biden Cancer Moonshot, started by Dr. Jill Biden and President Joe Biden. While the initial focus is domestic, there are already global efforts underway to expand access to screening and treatments to every corner of the world. 

We may never be able to completely prevent cancer from happening. We can vastly diminish its power, transforming it from the “Big C” into something that happens that we can manage and cure. That will take a global effort, and I know I want to be a part of that journey. 

Kamala Harris official Facebook pages organizing voters and volunteers

Harris for New York

As part of my communications work to help Kamala and Tim win in November, I’m so happy to be a moderator for the Facebook group Harris for New York. Every state has its own group and these are official groups run by Kamala’s and Tim’s campaign. (You’ll also see me posting on Harris for Pennsylvania and Harris for Georgia.) I was a moderator for Pantsuit Nation in 2016. I’m using everything I learned then to help Tim and Kamala win. 

These pages are places to build community, get organized with others in your state, share information, and volunteer the time, talents, and resources you have to win this election. To find your state group, go to the search bar and type in “Harris for [state]”. The logo will look like the one below — a blue background with white text that says “Harris for [state]”. 

You join a state’s page based on where you live, work, went to school, or another important tie to it. Every request to join and every post in every state Facebook group is reviewed by moderators like me. 

While we combat misinformation and disinformation, the vast majority of the posts by moderators and members are positive, uplifting, and focus on Kamala and Tim’s stance on all the issues. These groups are also where we share official posts with information directly from the campaign. Also, they are places of JOY!

We’ve got 74 days until election day. Let’s make every day count. We have no time to waste.

Falling in love with vegetables thanks to Hetty Lui McKinnon

Tenderheart: a cookbook about vegetables and unbreakable family bonds by Hetty Lui McKinnon

A number of years ago, I upgraded my diet to be plant-based. I still eat meat and animal products occasionally, but the bulk of my food comes from plants. I knew this change would be good for my health though I can’t say I was excited about it because I really didn’t know what to do with vegetables other than roast them. Enter the New York Times Cooking app, loaded with thousands of ways to turn vegetables into a feast. Some of my favorite vegetable-centric recipes are by James Beard Award winner Hetty Lui McKinnon whose inventive style and focus on easy preparation makes me feel like a gourmet cook even though I most certainly am not. Australian by birth and Chinese by heritage, she now lives in Brooklyn (as do I).

I recently read Hetty’s beautiful memoir cookbook, Tenderheart: a cookbook about vegetables and unbreakable family bonds. A love letter to both vegetables and her family’s role in stoking the fires of that love for her, Hetty gives us a glimpse into her past, present, and future, and celebrates her family history on every page. Organized by vegetable, the recipes include a snippet about why she loves each one, vegetable swaps and ingredient substitutions that can be made without compromising the flavor. I read cookbooks like they’re novels or biographies, so Hetty’s book is perfect for me. Give me a simple, healthy recipe and then tell me the story behind it. 

From cabbage carbonara(-ish) to chocolate eggplant brownies to the not your traditional Sunday roast to her Mum’s velvet potatoes, Hetty now has me dreaming about vegetables. Her recipes have also caused me to seek out vegetables I don’t normally buy because I never knew what to do with them. While vegetables can take a bit more coaxing than other foods, they can be made to be every bit as satisfying and craveable as any other food. 

Post-dissertation, I’m happy to be back in my kitchen more now than I’ve been able to be over the past two years. If you want to fall in love with vegetables, please join me in my sun filled apartment. With help from Hetty’s recipes (I’ve now ordered all of her cookbooks!), I’ll be happy to play matchmaker. 

I fell hard for Liverpool; you will, too.

The Beatles statue. Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool. Photo by Christa Avampato.

I love a gritty city – one peppered with history, music, art, and salt-of-the-earth people. I fell for Liverpool as soon as I arrived. I walked out of the train station and into the cool morning light. I immediately felt at home. The food is delicious, the people are kind, and the city is thriving with art and music everywhere. It’s also very affordable. I could easily live there and be very happy!

Some highlights:

As a port city, Liverpool has an extensive dock area. It’s been refurbished as the Royal Albert Dock, filled with restaurants, cafes, bakeries, pubs, and art. It’s a fun area to spend an afternoon. (Rough Handmade is one of the greatest bakeries I’ve ever been to anywhere!)

Bold Street is one of the main commercial areas filled with shops, food, and bookstores. Open early to late, there’s something for everyone there. I spent an event there at Mowgli, enjoying some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. There are a few Mowgli locations in Liverpool and each of them is beautiful, buzzy, and relaxed.

Seeing the Beatles childhood homes and the Cavern Club was the main reason I went to Liverpool. I love their story and music. My old neighborhood on the Upper West Side has the Dakota, the last home of John Lennon, and Strawberry Fields in Central Park where the “Imagine” sundial honors John’s legacy. The two childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney in Liverpool are very different from one another. They’re time capsules that tell their story of friendship and happenstance in the wake of WWII. No pictures are allowed inside the houses, but you can get excellent indoor tours with the National Trust. The tour picks up at Speke Hall, another great National Trust home (that’s 400 years old!) and grounds that I highly recommend seeing. Become a member of the National Trust and this tour (as well as Speke Hall), along with many other UK sites, are deeply discounted or free.

Liverpool is home to many museums, my favorite being the Maritime Museum. It pays homage to the Titanic because the White Star Line, the ship’s owner, was based there. The museum also exposes the city’s horrific role in the transatlantic slave trade. While many cities and countries attempt to sweep tragedy under the rug, Liverpool addresses directly and honestly in this museum and throughout the city.

The Resident is a fantastic boutique hotel that emphasizes sustainability and is a repurposed factory. Incredible service and great accommodations, it’s located very close to Bold Street and within walking distance of all the great sites of the city.

While Liverpool isn’t as flashy as some other European destination, it’s filled with heart and soul. It’s well worth a visit. I’m already looking forward to visiting again.

The collage below are my favorite photos from Liverpool, all taken by me.

The Joy of Small Things

The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson. Photo by Christa Avampato.

I bought the book The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson at Books on the Hill, a magical independent family-run bookstore in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, a perfect London suburb. My friend, Milly, took me there when I visited her because she knew I’d love it. She knows me well. 

The bookstore building was originally constructed in 1600, was once a tearoom and a furniture shop, and has a resident ghost who is a monk traveling from the cathedral in the secret tunnels running below the city where he does the flower arranging. The Books on the Hill family also has a dachshund named Fergus. I asked the bookstore team if I could move in. I think they’re considering it. (Honestly, was I switched at birth, and am I possibly their long-lost daughter?!)

Hannah’s book caught my eye because it’s about joy, my favorite topic, and it has a dachshund on the front who looks exactly like my dear Phineas, who passed away in January at the ripe old age of 14 1/2. Also, Nigella Lawson, who is an absolute queen, recommends it. Obviously, I loved every word. It’s a book of short pieces that Hannah wrote for The Guardian about everyday joys. One of the pieces is about her love for dachshunds. The topics are wonderfully varied from three-minute pop songs to local graffiti to trainers (for my American friends, these are sneakers) to cemeteries and dozens of others. (Again, is Hannah my long-lost family member, too?!) 

I read the book in tiny bits because I didn’t want it to end. Hannah is hilarious and thoughtful, and I’m sure we would be best friends if we knew each other. She’s also British, so the turn of phrase and spelling in this book are a joy for me and take me right back to St. Albans with Milly. 

I’ve long been a journal writer. On August 1st, I started a new practice: a daily spreadsheet (another one of my small joys) where I jot down what brought me joy each day. I set a calendar reminder at 9:30pm each night with the question, “What brought you joy today?” and I fill in the spreadsheet. It’s now part of my bedtime routine, and I love it. It’s become a joy in itself.

Emerson Page novels named Indie Author Project Select books

Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads at the Castlerigg Stone Circle in Keswick, part of the U.K.’s Lake District.
Photo by Christa Avampato.

Both of my Emerson Page novels, Where the Light Enters and Where the Light Leads, were named Indie Author Project (IAP) Select books, making the eBooks available and recommended to libraries across the U.S. and Canada. Curated by Library Journal and library editorial boards across North America, the books are chosen by editors and librarians from thousands of submissions.

IAP Select features NY Times and USA Today best-selling authors and numerous award winners, as well as emerging authors. This also means my books are now being considered for the Indie Author Project Annual Contest. Winners will be announced in November.

Thank you to the IAP Select committee for this honor. I’m looking forward to connecting with more readers and libraries!

 

The Ripped Bodice bookstore shines a light on romance

The Ripped Bodice bookstore. Photo by Christa Avampato.

Yesterday, I went to the Brooklyn romance indie bookstore, The Ripped Bodice. I went to brunch to celebrate my dear friend, Ashley, and we decided to stop in as we passed by since I’d never been before. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we left the world behind and entered into a world built, nurtured, and protected by love in all its forms. From the boho color scheme to the books curated with humor and spice to the friendly happy staff, the store feels like a joyful, knowing hug. Started by sisters Bea and Leah in LA, the Brooklyn store celebrates its 1 year birthday this month. (Of course, it’s a Leo!)

I think of romance as a macro genre of literature that spans many other genres as a theme to drive characters and plots. Whatever genre a reader loves, romance can be part of it. At The Ripped Bodice, readers can find romance books within history, historical fiction, comedy, mythology, young adult, fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, literary fiction, suspense, mystery, and the list goes on. The Ripped Bodice also has a fantastic card and gift selection that induces smiles and giggles with tea, candles, chocolate, coffee, stickers, bookmarks, canvas bags, and more.

I’m so glad The Ripped Bodice bookstore exists. It’s putting love front and center in a world that needs more of it. Yesterday was my first visit, and it will definitely be a place I visit again and again.

The Ripped Bodice Brooklyn is located at 218 5th Avenue in the Park Slope neighborhood.

Governor Tim Walz made Minnesota a climate action powerhouse

Image from Sierra Club

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has spent the better part of the last decade instituting climate policies that make economic sense and help all Minnesota residents live healthier, happier lives. Let’s dive into what he’s done in Minnesota and how this could help the entire country. 

1.) Minnesota is a clean energy leader

Like many states, Minnesota was long powered by coal. Today, 50% of the state’s power comes from wind, solar, and nuclear power, thanks to Walz. It’s one of the fastest transitioning states in the country. In 2023, he signed the Minnesota Clean Energy Bill into law, ensuring Minnesota is fossil fuel-free by 2040. (If you want to see how all U.S. states stack up with their energy sources, check out this cool interactive created by Nadja Popovich.) 

2.) Minnesota is a climate policy leader

On Walz’s watch in 2022, Minnesota launched the Climate Action Framework. This plan is preparing the state for climate change impacts, taking immediate and near-term actions to make the state “carbon-neutral, resilient, and equitable.” To-date, this plan has prompted the Minnesota Legislature to approve over 40 climate initiatives across industries including energy, health, agriculture, construction, and transportation. 

3.) Minnesota policies connect everyday local concerns with climate solutions 

Minnesotans have acutely felt the impacts of climate change over the past 5 years — drought caused economic losses for farmers and ranchers, wildfire smoke inundated cities and towns leading to health challenges, and a lack of snow and ice caused economic losses in the fishing and winter tourism industries. The state’s climate policies focus on climate solutions that create jobs, protect land and water vital for farmers and ranchers, reduce energy costs for consumers, and improve air quality to improve the health of residents, particularly children, the elderly, and those with existing health conditions. 

Walz’s simple, straightforward, optimistic, and solution-oriented communication style unites people, makes them feel hopeful, and connects the challenges they face with policy solutions that will directly solve those challenges. This makes him wildly popular with constituents across the political spectrum. People trust him because he’s helping them. This has helped turn Minnesota into a climate action powerhouse. Using his playbook, we could do this for the entire country.