Question/Comment for The Diane Rehm Show, News Roundup, June 10, 2011

Please get past the taudry testosterone of Congressman Weiner and discuss the very important issue he was bringing to light at the time Andrew Breitbart posted the infamous photo: the latest extraordinary details of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s falsified Financial Disclosure Forms and the source of the $700,000 unreported income of Ginny Thomas. This is not old news – in fact, the recent release of Thomas’s Financial Disclosure Form for 2010 has helped establish a timeline for Mrs. Thomas Liberty Consulting organization that coincides with the infamous United Citizens v FEC initial hearing and benefits enormously from the Supreme Court Decision.

Now THIS is what the press should be more aggressive on. And this is why an ongoing personal problem of Congressman Weiner was made public at that exact moment – to distract from this very serious conflict of interest and possible judicial insider trading, which had been hidden by Justice Thomas’s falsified Financial Disclose Forms.  Now this falsification is criminal (as it clearly states in bold capital letters on the forms), and and it is Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas who should resign.

 

**********************

Enough. I WANT TO KNOW IF HUMAN ACTIONS ARE CAUSING EARTHQUAKES.

I've had enough -- and clearly now so has the world.

As I write this, the headlines read "PARTIAL MELTDOWN" -- and that's in the mainstream press.

At least one nuclear reactor in Japan is already in meltdown mode.  Yesterday morning started with news that the reactor had expoded the night before.  Should I believe them when they say that the explosion involved an outer structure and did not cause an increased release of radiation?

The most important question that needs to be addressed immediately is: Are the actions of humans on this planet increasing earthquake activity?

According to several news items last week, two natural gas companies in Arkansas have stopped their hydraulic fracturing while there is an investigation into the potential relationship between "fracking" and the extraordinary increase in earthquakes in Arkansas. (See the movie GASLAND.)

WE MUST MAKE THE CONNECTION IF THIS IS TRUE - because every jolt to the tectonic plates ripples out and moves something somewhere else.
Meanwhile, we must stop believing that anyone can honestly say that nuclear energy is safe.  Radioactivity is a power beyond our comprehension and the worst part about it is that lasts for millions of years - FAR BEYOND ANYTHING WE CAN PREDICT.

SO HOW CAN ANYONE EVER SAY WHAT THIS MONSTEROUS POWER WILL AFFECT?

Personally, I've never understood how corporate profiteers who propagandize while protecting toxic spew can ever look their children and grandchildren in the eye.

So, again, enough.  I've had enough, and so has this planet.  We are all at risk, even the liars.

It's bad enough to spread garbage in the air and water, but when the greedy powerful put radiating torches of death in boxes all over the planet and then start wiggling the tectonic plates, we must stop them. 


They are stupid and dangerous to us all - even themselves, the damn fools.

*******

Meanwhile, The Washington Post/Bloomberg News has posted this: "Japan's earthquake will boost global demand for natural gas".  Damn fools.

Governor Scott Walker Reveals the Republican Shift to Thuggery

And The Deseret News captures the best portrait of me ever (Sunday, February 27).

"And the award for costume design goes to. . ."

YEAH, TEAM!!!

Orwellian Midterm Madness

How foolish?  How foolish.

Many emotions, but the deepest is sadness.  I am sad to see so many foolishly vote against their own best interests.

They have fallen for the concept of "grass roots" and "independence/freedom".

It is Orwellian, because the movement they call "grass roots" was completely manipulated and financed by the lobbyists and public relations end of the very industries that are most damaging our economy and health.

It is Orwellian, because those who believe they are standing up for Independence and Freedom are the ones most manipulated into the behaviors that serve the great corporations, leaving them only with the Freedom to suffer from the bullying of corporations which demand the right to honor profit over safety.

It is Orwellian, because the majority voted (if we believe the vote count) to benefit the few over themselves.

It is Orwellian, because people have fallen for the false equivalent of Fox News v MSNBC -- as if bullying rudeness is equivalent to the presentation of evidence.

It is true that the evidence does sometimes cause some to become outraged, rightfully so, but that outrage then makes it easier for those who are paid to distract attention away from the evidence to discredit the information -- no matter how strong the evidence is. 

That is why Keith Olbermann announced on Monday, the day before the election, that he is suspending his infamous daily segment, "Worst Person in the World" -- because his understandable outrage, in this Orwellian world, is labelled "liberal bombast", discrediting his solid work as a journalist bringing important information to an audience desperate to cut through the gutless reporting of the mainstream media.

It is MADNESS for the majority, who are frightened because of the economy and the wars, to vote to protect those who have created the economy and the wars, blaming those who were stuck trying to clean up the mess left by the previous set of liars.

And it is MADNESS that the Supreme Court has given corporations the right to take over elections.

It is MADNESS to call that usurpation of the priorities of humanity "grass roots".

If we are to survive -- and even thrive -- we must PAY ATTENTION. 

We must see past the Orwellian language, we must cure the Madness with the healing light of Truth, and we must prioritize humanity over greed.

It's that simple.

Response to "Is that HATRED in Your Pocket... Or Are You Just MAD to See Me?", at Confessions of a Valet Boy

Dear Mr. Valet Boy,

Once, a few decades ago, you, Mr. Hampton, and I shared the same spot in the space/time continuum for a while. At that time, I'm pretty sure I was the most naive of the three of us. It was Los Angeles, it was theatre, and statistically, it was clearly populated with people who were gay.

We can, all three of us, think of many individuals we knew, I'm sure, who were gay. But was anyone "out"? Hardly. I thought I was in love with three of them, no wait -- four, oh hell, probably even more. Yep, it took years for me to understand consciously the joy of being friends with gay men, and all the extraordinarily wonderful qualities these friends had (once I got over their disinterest in going farther with me), that absolutely drew me to them. Fortunately, I can now say that some of those friendships have lasted decades.

And then there were the women. Yep, many of them were trickier to identify -- but what I did see, often, was simply young women who courageously opened doors, who refused to be told they couldn't take a drafting class instead of sewing, who wore slacks under their graduation robes, who engaged ferociously in life because they weren't defined by male approval.

They certainly wouldn’t have let the high school chemistry teacher get away with making sure the few girls in his class failed, with constant reminders that we didn’t belong there, denying assistance, and pop-testing (me) on material he knew I’d missed, taking me, an outstanding math student, down -- from a B+ to a final grade of D-, one point above complete failure – ultimately directing me away from a university education, a degree, and undoubtedly a life of greater financial security. But that bullying teacher was satisfied; his world of dominance was maintained, for a time. Until more of these women stood up.

Damn right. A lot of the strength of the Women’s Movement came from women like these – lesbians –  who weren’t waiting for permission to be heard.

Yet, we also – all three of us – knew individuals who were gay before it could easily be acknowledged, who needed to arm themselves (or punish themselves) for their differences – with masks of intense makeup, liquor, pills, destructive relationships, even suicide – because they lived in a world in which they couldn’t be honest, not even with their close friends. And all of this. . . affected all of us.

For we are a community of interconnected beings. And we all have an affect on each other.

When a person fails to thrive, we all lose out.

And, boy oh boy, girl oh girl, have we, the population of this world, lost out by allowing the arrogance of heterosexuality define. . . ANYTHING!!!

Right now, we know, without a doubt, that we are missing out on one voice, the voice of a violin, soaring, blazing into our souls - the sound that Tyler Clementi was bringing to the world - one that would have changed those who heard, one that would have led others to also bring their voices into the fray.

It is no minor loss – the passing of a violinist!  You see, perhaps the most effective teacher who ever lived was a simple Japanese man who heard a violin, sought one out to see if he could recreate what he had heard, found his voice, and believed that all children could do the same.  Dr. Shinichi Suzuki thus taught teachers who went on to teach many teachers, who have taught hundreds of thousands, making the violin, and in time, many instruments, Voices of Peace – for this one Japanese man, maturing in Germany, knew the importance of consciously raising children with "Noble Hearts" (inspired by great music and diligent study), Nurtured by Love -- he knew these children would grow up to achieve better things than war.

So, what could Tyler Clementi have brought to the human community?

And what about those we don’t even know about? Those whose talents and offerings were squashed before they could be expressed, cut short before they’d found their stride, dropped before they’d dared to speak.

There is a powerful teaching which has as one of its tenants, “Above all else I am determined to see things differently.” (Note: This is actually also a healthier explanation of the “turn the other cheek” metaphor – seeking another angle to see from -- rather than offering up greater victimhood.)

That is what I believe – that where there is a problem, the solution is in SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

So, if that is true, then wouldn’t those who see things differently be our greatest healers?

Therefore, in allowing the arrogance of heterosexuality to bully down/away the ‘others’ – have we spent centuries de-voicing our greatest hope?

Is this the foolish downfall of humanity? In our unwillingness to embrace what is different than the majority, in our actions and words being tied to our own fears of being rejected the way we reject others – we, as a community of people living on this earth - do not thrive.

We know that is true.

And it only changes as we speak up and declare our dedication to an inclusive, whole community, one in which we actively see differently – and so we nurture, listen, respect, and continue to speak boldly of what this brings us.

That is how we thrive.

And that is how we honor those whose voices have been silenced.

Thank you, Valet Boy, for picking up the luggage and making me walk alongside you and Roger.

"Mama, will I ever have breast cancer?" Thirteen years later.

March 4, 1997

As I was sitting cross legged in the warm tub this morning,
my five year old daughter,
who has been missing a lot of time with me of late --
as I have been focusing on treatments, and needing space --
asked me,
“Mama, will I ever have breast cancer?”

I cannot tell her no.
Suddenly, the new truth is:
“It runs in the family,”
this albatross of potential carcinoma
hanging from our necks,
down our chests.

But I do not wish to plant the mental seed
of genetic fallibility
and inevitability.

So I tell her that she can do things differently
than Mama did.

For years I knew that vitamins worked,
that drinking didn’t;
that exercise did,
that coffee didn’t;
that forgiveness did,
that resentment didn’t.

But I was ambiguous in my desire to thrive,
perhaps getting more out of the suffering martyr role
than I dared get out of life as a celebration.

I started to change this rather late in life,
but as I did, the door opened for her to arrive,
and inspire me.

Now that I am surgically altered,
not so much cured as having the sick parts removed,
I must still face
and embrace
doing what works.

Living it,
and thus walking it with my daughter,
so we can change the family “run.”

The other side of the lesson to share
will be in the proof
that this has not been a tragedy.

An action has been taken which is smart,
and leaves us counting what we’ve gained
rather than lost,
blessing all that lies ahead
because of our opportunity now
to choose
to limit the loss
to a breast
(a simple pound of flesh),
to gain a life
that is long and well lived.

                                                                                                        
* * * * * * *


September 10, 2010

Thirteen years later, I know much more.
About Aspartame, and Rumsfeld’s slick slide past science to approval.
About depleted uranium, and the silencing of the United Nations.
About plastic, and fish, and the air at Ground Zero.

Even as the celebrities gather on my TV screen to raise money

for “Stand Up to Cancer”, I wonder if they get it.
Stand up? What’s that mean?
Some vague macho courage? More treatment choices?

Or, could we really dare to Stand Up --
For Life, over Profit –
and stop the corporate polluters that trash our DNA,
and buy off scientists, regulators, and legislators
to hide liability and prolong the spending?

Oh, my beautiful daughter, be Alive – every day.
Be present, be careful, be joyous.
Ask questions.  Seek truth.  Act on your compassion.
Eat simply and diversely.
Don’t wait for Godot.

That way, regardless of what mutations occur, you thrive.
And because you thrive, others do, as well.
That’s what I’ve learned.

And that’s my answer to your question,
Thirteen years later.

Bill Maher's Beautiful Bluntness

See Bill Maher's article at Huffington Post by clicking on my title above.

Oh, to have been a Smith College Graduate this year. . .

From Reuters: FACTBOX - US HEALTHCARE BILL WOULD PROVIDE IMMEDIATE BENEFITS

IN THE FIRST YEAR:
*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.
*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.
*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011:
*Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
*Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.
*A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.
*Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.
*Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.
*An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012:
*Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form "accountable care organizations" to improve quality and efficiency of care.
*An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.
*The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013:
*A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.
*The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.
*The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.
*A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2014:
*State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.
*Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don't. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.
*Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
*Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren't counted for the fine.
*Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2015:
*Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2018:
*An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.

CHUTZPAH!

In celebration of the real EQUINOX, in which the Light begins to overcome the Darkness, I present the moment of greatest Chutzpah, as expressed by the most frustrated Congressman Anthony Weiner, and shared by Rachel Maddow on February 24, 2010.