I've been thinking about terrorism and the word terror recently.
How could one not. The news each day is filled with stories
of stymied bombing attempts on airplanes, surfacing by OBL with
a new threat, admissions by the Secret Service and Homeland
Security about failures to recognize obvious breaches of
security.
The point is that we think of terrorism as a practice of fear induction
by use of arms and strength; to destroy or subjugate another.
From the photos dispatched from Haiti, though, there is no other word
that could better describe the reaction induced by the earthquake in
Haiti than terror. When I think of terror, I see pictures, first
the one of the little girl set afire by napalm during the Viet Nam
War. running from her home to the cover of Ramparts Magazine?
And what does a family feel when confronted with an economic picture
for the current month that will delete them from their homes
next month? How does a parent of a sick young adult feel when s/he
cannot pay for ongoing medical needs?
Then we have all the abuses that we hear about, in relationships
between partners, parents and children, gangs and neighborhoods and
the like? Terror abounds globally and locally. Maybe this
accounts for the popularity of yoga and mindfulness and other
self-soothing techniques so popular these days.
Has the word terror been wrested from the language and reshaped
to represent more than it should? Is the current lexicon, too,
victimized by violence? And when does personal fear escalate to terror?
I think mine might, and that I might have lost the battle to resist
it. The difference between fear and terror within seems to be
a subtle paralysis of will, a non-verbal surrender, a blow-out.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
....Full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. ...(Macbeth)
It's difficult to believe that I haven't posted
since August 30. Then again, this has hardly
been an ordinary year for Schwartz and Brown.
Brown's hip replacement is working beautifully.
Schwartz needs a brain replacement and cannot
find a surgeon who does these.
I've been taking art courses, learning how
to use acrylics and feeling inept compared
to classmates. I have improved, though.
Since the last post, we've done many road trips,
one through Iowa and Nebraska en route to a family
Bar Mitzvah in Evergreen, CO. It was great fun.
seeing grandkids in Indiana coming and going,
visiting Grinnell College, Brown's alma mater,
and various other side trips. Going home, we
got to help the grandkids with their Jack'O'Lanterns
for Halloween. Yes, art again.
We went out to Indiana again for Hanukkah.
Listened to good Hiassen books on CD.
There were several other adventures that were
fun and/or interesting.
Wish I could get that new brain.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Long Time
Can't believe it's been so long since the last
post. Too content with the Obamification
of America? Perhaps. It ain't perfect,
but I'll take it. Just giving him some time
to orient under difficult circumstances and
to pick a damned dog.
Life otherwise complicated, but not for
publication. See facebook.
post. Too content with the Obamification
of America? Perhaps. It ain't perfect,
but I'll take it. Just giving him some time
to orient under difficult circumstances and
to pick a damned dog.
Life otherwise complicated, but not for
publication. See facebook.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Remembering Paul Newman, the philanthropist. - By Dahlia Lithwick - Slate Magazine
Remembering Paul Newman, the philanthropist. - By Dahlia Lithwick - Slate Magazine: "For his part, Newman put it all down to luck. In his 1992 introduction to our book about the camp, he tried to explain what impelled him to create the Hole in the Wall: 'I wanted, I think, to acknowledge Luck: the chance of it, the benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others; made especially savage for children because they may not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it.' Married to Joanne Woodward, his second wife, for 50 years this winter, Newman always looked at her like something he'd pulled out of a Christmas stocking. He looked at his daughters that way, too. It was like, all these years later, he couldn't quite believe he got to keep them."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hey, Alaska ain't the only state with Rednecks. Jersey's got 'em 2
Let's be honest. Isn't this what all of this "he's not experienced enough" crap is
about? This was done by people who can't spell, but people with more normal IQs are doing the same thing, aren't they?
"Do You Want A Black President?" - September 24, 2008
about? This was done by people who can't spell, but people with more normal IQs are doing the same thing, aren't they?
"Do You Want A Black President?" - September 24, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
What Privileges Do McCain and Palin Receive Because They're White? | Rights and Liberties | AlterNet
What Privileges Do McCain and Palin Receive Because They're White?By Tim Wise, BuzzFlash. Posted September 18, 2008.13 ways McCain and Palin have enjoyed preferential treatment in the presidential race.What Privileges Do McCain and Palin Receive Because They're White? | Rights and Liberties | AlterNet
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Sunday, September 07, 2008
Sarah Palin and the Separation Between Church and State
Sarah Palin and the Separation Between Church and State: "“I miss the days when pastors delivered sermons and politicians delivered political speeches,” Boston told the Associated Press."
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Absolutely the stupidest salvo in the war on terror to date, Tesco's, Islington, London, UK
Absolutely the stupidest salvo in the war on terror to date, Tesco's, Islington, London, UK
Originally uploaded by gruntzooki
MichaelMoore.com : An Open Letter to God, from Michael Moore
Sunday, August 31st, 2008An Open Letter to God, from Michael MooreDear God,The other night, James Dobson's ministry asked all believers to pray for a storm on Thursday night so that the Obama acceptance speech outdoors in Denver would have to be canceled.I see that You have answered Dr. Dobson's prayers -- except the storm You have sent to earth is not over Denver, but on its way to New Orleans! In fact, You have scheduled it to hit Louisiana at exactly the moment that George W. Bush is to deliver his speech at the Republican National Convention.Now, heavenly Father, we all know You have a great sense of humor and impeccable timing. To send a hurricane on the third anniversary of the Katrina disaster AND right at the beginning of the Republican Convention was, at first blush, a stroke of divine irony. I don't blame You, I know You're angry that the Republicans tried to blame YOU for Katrina by calling it an "Act of God" -- when the truth was that the hurricane itself caused few casualties in New Orleans. Over a thousand people died because of the mistakes and neglect caused by humans, not You.Some of us tried to help after Katrina hit, while Bush ate cake with McCain and twiddled his thumbs. I closed my office in New York and sent my entire staff down to New Orleans to help. I asked people on my website to contribute to the relief effort I organized -- and I ended up sending over two million dollars in donations, food, water, and supplies (collected from thousands of fans) to New Orleans while Bush's FEMA ice trucks were still driving around Maine three weeks later.But this past Thursday night, the Washington Post reported that the Republicans had begun making plans to possibly postpone the convention. The AP had reported that there were no shelters set up in New Orleans for this storm, and that the levee repairs have not been adequate. In other words, as the great Ronald Reagan would say, "There you go again!"So the last thing John McCain and the Republicans needed was to have a split-screen on TVs across America: one side with Bush and McCain partying in St. Paul, and on the other side of the screen, live footage of their Republican administration screwing up once again while New Orleans drowns.So, yes, You have scared the Jesus, Mary and Joseph out of them, and more than a few million of your followers tip their hats to You.But now it appears that You haven't been having just a little fun with Bush & Co. It appears that Hurricane Gustav is truly heading to New Orleans and the Gulf coast. We hear You, O Lord, loud and clear, just as we did when Rev. Falwell said You made 9/11 happen because of all those gays and abortions. We beseech You, O Merciful One, not to punish us again as Pat Robertson said You did by giving us Katrina because of America's "wholesale slaughter of unborn children." His sentiments were echoed by other Republicans in 2005.So this is my plea to you: Don't do this to Louisiana again. The Republicans got your message. They are scrambling and doing the best they can to get planes, trains and buses to New Orleans so that everyone can get out. They haven't sent the entire Louisiana National Guard to Iraq this time -- they are already patrolling the city streets. And, in a nod to I don't know what, Bush's head of FEMA has named a man to help manage the federal government's response. His name is W. Michael Moore. I kid you not, heavenly Father. They have sent a man with both my name AND W's to help save the Gulf Coast.So please God, let the storm die out at sea. It's done enough damage already. If you do this one favor for me, I promise not to invoke your name again. I'll leave that to the followers of Dr. Dobson and to those gathering this week in St. Paul.Your faithful servant and former seminarian,Michael MooreMMFlint@aol.comMichaelMoore.comP.S. To all of God's fellow children who are reading this, the city of New Orleans has not yet recovered from Katrina. Please click here for a list of things you can do to help our brothers and sisters on the Gulf Coast. And, if you do live along the Gulf Coast, please take all necessary safety precautions immediatelyMichaelMoore.com : An Open Letter to God, from Michael Moore
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Saturday, August 09, 2008
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
Zo
The courageous young photographer in this story, Zo Miller, is separated from us by less than six degrees. He's the nephew of our fave almost-cousin, Dave Miller of Denver, Marta Nieburg's mate.
We met Zo on our last visit to Denver. He's a remarkably accomplished, passionately compassionate young man. The stories he told us of his work in conflict and disaster zones were notable not for their riskiness (major), but because of the relationships he cultivated with the people he met.
Zo's web site is http://www.zoriah.com
We met Zo on our last visit to Denver. He's a remarkably accomplished, passionately compassionate young man. The stories he told us of his work in conflict and disaster zones were notable not for their riskiness (major), but because of the relationships he cultivated with the people he met.
Zo's web site is http://www.zoriah.com
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Starve the Predators
CampusProgress.org | The Young and the Indebted
[Editor’s note: Erica L. Williams, Policy and Advocacy Manager at Campus Progress Action, testified before Congress last week on credit card practices affecting young Americans. The video of Williams’ testimony is posted below.]
Erica L. Williams testifies before Congress on college students and credit card debt on June 26, 2008. Her testimony can be read here (pdf).
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
One Benefit of Gun Ownership
Smiling Through - Dick Cavett - Opinion - New York Times Blog
I guarantee that one result of this week’s Supreme Court decision on guns will be the deaths of people who have a gun at home for the first time while in depression. In the depths of the malady, getting a stamp on a letter is a day’s work. Going out to somehow arrange for a gun would be way beyond your capability while stricken. But having one near at hand is another matter. There were times when I longed for my ancient .22 single-shot squirrel-hunting rifle. Luckily it had been given away years earlier.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Baby Caden Comes to Kailee
Caden Joel Schwartz was born early on June 11, 2008, weighing 6lb.12oz.
to Jen and Josh Schwartz in Las Vegas, NV
Kailee has been waiting for Baby Caden for such a long time and says she'll keep him.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Ditto: What Obama Means
JS Online: Best of the Wisconsin Blogs
Quite a day
Thank you MLK Jr., LBJ, Bob Moses, Diane Nash, Bobby Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Medgar Evers, the families of the three boys killed in Mississippi, John Lewis, Connie Curry, Paul Potter, Paul and Sheila Wellstone. Some names you will recognize and some you won't, but all are heroes to me. Thanks to thousands of good people who not only sang We Shall Overcome but believed it. Lived it. Thanks Pete Seeger, Woody and Arlo. Special thanks to Jesse Jackson. Yes, a black man is the nominee for President of the United States. This is an amazing moment. How lucky we are to have lived long lives so we could tell the Civil Rights story to grandchildren. A new chapter? No, a new book. America, enjoy the moment. I can hear the refrain from King, "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last!"
Ed Garvey
Garveyblog
www.fightingbob.com
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
True Terror
By Ezra Klein, The American Prospect. Posted May 21, 2008.
If health insurance were cheap, we could all buy it. If universal health care could get 60 votes in the Senate, we'd all have it. But these two imperatives -- the need to control costs and the need to attract the 60 Senate votes required to overcome a filibuster -- point in opposite directions. This is the central paradox of health reform.
The most intractable policy problem is not, fundamentally, the 47 million uninsured or the fact that insurers have a business model right out of Dickens. It's cost. In 2006, the average family policy cost $13,600. This is why one out of six Americans are uninsured; they can't afford the premiums. An October 2007 Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that more Americans were "very worried" about being priced out of their health insurance than feared losing their job, their house, or being in a terrorist attack. And with good reason: Premiums have gone up 98 percent since 2000. Wages have not.
If health insurance were cheap, we could all buy it. If universal health care could get 60 votes in the Senate, we'd all have it. But these two imperatives -- the need to control costs and the need to attract the 60 Senate votes required to overcome a filibuster -- point in opposite directions. This is the central paradox of health reform.
The most intractable policy problem is not, fundamentally, the 47 million uninsured or the fact that insurers have a business model right out of Dickens. It's cost. In 2006, the average family policy cost $13,600. This is why one out of six Americans are uninsured; they can't afford the premiums. An October 2007 Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that more Americans were "very worried" about being priced out of their health insurance than feared losing their job, their house, or being in a terrorist attack. And with good reason: Premiums have gone up 98 percent since 2000. Wages have not.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
'Democracy in America Is a Series of Narrow Escapes.....
Moyers: 'Democracy in America Is a Series of Narrow Escapes, and We May Be Running Out of Luck' | Democracy and Elections | AlterNet
Democracy in America is a series of narrow escapes, and we may be running out of luck. The reigning presumption about the American experience, as the historian Lawrence Goodwyn has written, is grounded in the idea of progress, the conviction that the present is "better" than the past and the future will bring even more improvement. For all of its shortcomings, we keep telling ourselves, "The system works."
Now all bets are off. We have fallen under the spell of money, faction, and fear, and the great American experience in creating a different future together has been subjugated to individual cunning in the pursuit of wealth and power -and to the claims of empire, with its ravenous demands and stuporous distractions. A sense of political impotence pervades the country -- a mass resignation defined by Goodwyn as "believing the dogma of 'democracy' on a superficial public level but not believing it privately." We hold elections, knowing they are unlikely to bring the corporate state under popular control. There is considerable vigor at local levels, but it has not been translated into new vistas of social possibility or the political will to address our most intractable challenges. Hope no longer seems the operative dynamic of America, and without hope we lose the talent and drive to cooperate in the shaping of our destiny.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Monday, May 05, 2008
Follow-Up on Latoya
A fund has been started for the Drayton family to
help them pay for some of the uncompensated bills
associated with Latoya's illness.
The fund will be administered by Cherished Creations,
a 501-c-3, non-profit organization. Donations are
tax deductible.
Contributions should be sent to:
Cherished Creations
343 Snyder Ave
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
ATT: Drayton Fund
help them pay for some of the uncompensated bills
associated with Latoya's illness.
The fund will be administered by Cherished Creations,
a 501-c-3, non-profit organization. Donations are
tax deductible.
Contributions should be sent to:
Cherished Creations
343 Snyder Ave
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
ATT: Drayton Fund
Friday, May 02, 2008
TOYA
Latoya Drayton, 19, died this morning. She was a vital member of the Lupus Support
Group I've been privieged to be associated with, as beautiful and funny and generous
a person you'd ever want to meet. After her first near fatal bout with her disease
at age 15, Latoya determined that she needed not waste any of the time available to her.
I'm struggling for words to describe how Latoya taught her friends, family and
all who worked with her to seize life and savor every moment of it.
When she was gravely ill several times over the last year, sedated, even,
we sensed her efforts to return to consciousness, then function. When
she did, she said , "I'm back, and I'm going to college," or something to
that effect. And she went and fought to stay until she had to be hospitalized
again, to wage yet another battle against a horrible disease for precious time.
She exuded love for her family and friends. Despite pain and disappointment,
she was optimistic and FUNNY. No one could meet her and not love her.
I've not yet painted the full picture, but will try again.
Group I've been privieged to be associated with, as beautiful and funny and generous
a person you'd ever want to meet. After her first near fatal bout with her disease
at age 15, Latoya determined that she needed not waste any of the time available to her.
I'm struggling for words to describe how Latoya taught her friends, family and
all who worked with her to seize life and savor every moment of it.
When she was gravely ill several times over the last year, sedated, even,
we sensed her efforts to return to consciousness, then function. When
she did, she said , "I'm back, and I'm going to college," or something to
that effect. And she went and fought to stay until she had to be hospitalized
again, to wage yet another battle against a horrible disease for precious time.
She exuded love for her family and friends. Despite pain and disappointment,
she was optimistic and FUNNY. No one could meet her and not love her.
I've not yet painted the full picture, but will try again.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
SAY GOOD NIGHT, HILLARY
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/end-it-now_b_98265.html
There is no doubt that Senator Clinton is a talented and an extraordinarily intelligent person. Her tragic flaw is her belief that only she
is capable of leading. It is this that has caused her to engage in an
effort to demean her opponent and engage in the kind of campaign that
she once decried as "the politics of personal destruction." It is this
that I call her narcissism, and the degree to which it has damaged not
only the Democratic chances in November, but also her reputation --
defines the pathological self-destruction that so often follows from
narcissistic behavior
There is no doubt that Senator Clinton is a talented and an extraordinarily intelligent person. Her tragic flaw is her belief that only she
is capable of leading. It is this that has caused her to engage in an
effort to demean her opponent and engage in the kind of campaign that
she once decried as "the politics of personal destruction." It is this
that I call her narcissism, and the degree to which it has damaged not
only the Democratic chances in November, but also her reputation --
defines the pathological self-destruction that so often follows from
narcissistic behavior
This has gone on too long, and should end now. Former President
Clinton has argued that all the states should be given a chance to
vote. They should have that chance. And, if this campaign were focused
on issues and a debate over competing visions of leadership, I would
say, "Let it continue."
But this has not been the case. Given the behavior of the Clinton
campaign to date, and the expectation this behavior will continue, I
believe that prolonging this agony will only create deeper division.
For this reason, it should end now.
My fellow superdelegates should wait no longer. As party leaders, we
are uniquely positioned, and have the responsibility, to speak out.
Indecision only serves to enable bad behavior. It is time for us to
either demand that the behavior change, or act to end this now.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Taking it to the Insurance Companies
Thank you Daily Kos! Another huge victory for the netroots and citizen activism!
“Every politician who thinks the answer to our healthcare crisis is
more insurance should stop and think about Nick Colombo,” said DeMoro.
“Insurance is not care. Paying for insurance coverage is not the same
as assuring you will receive appropriate care, even when recommended by
a physician as it was for Nick. Insurance corporations profit by
denying care to the sick, and that is no way to run a humane healthcare
system.”
more insurance should stop and think about Nick Colombo,” said DeMoro.
“Insurance is not care. Paying for insurance coverage is not the same
as assuring you will receive appropriate care, even when recommended by
a physician as it was for Nick. Insurance corporations profit by
denying care to the sick, and that is no way to run a humane healthcare
system.”
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Why Edwards is the only viable Dem
Vote your brain, not your heart
By Newt Political Cortex
01/17/2008 09:04:39 PM EST
Want change? Don't we all. Each of the Democratic Presidential
candidates has plans for change, with varying ideas on how they'd go
about it. For the most part, the top three candidates use similar
rhetoric, with Barack Obama presenting the most inspirational picture,
Hillary Clinton suggesting notions based on her extensive experience,
and John Edwards detailing the most explicit plans for recovering from
the Bush legacy.
We want change, that's a given. But if Democrats, Independents &
progressives want to win the 2008 presidency and, more importantly,
achieve a landslide takeover of Congress, Democrats need a candidate
that can beat anyone the GOP comes up. In addition to being able to
win, our candidate needs to be one who won't stir up the vindictive
passions of conservatives. Why? Because conservatives are in the minority, yet they continually out-vote progressives when they're angry, fearful or spiteful.
Even with the ongoing Iraq quagmire and recent lying, cheating and
stealing firmly tied to the Bush Administration and its policies (CIA
outing, war profiteering and record oil profits), the Democrats'
showing at the polls is dismal. The left simply doesn't use its
majority political clout to ensure the country is run the way we want
it to be run.
Next year there is more at stake than just the presidency. We have a
potentially historic opportunity to take back the Senate. The
conservative movement is faltering. We need to be careful not to
reinvigorate it with a bad choice in the Democratic primary. Remember
Barry Goldwater? The people who voted for his losing presidential bid
did so as if it were some kind of badge of honor. At least two of our
current candidates in the Democratic pool could inspire that type of
spiteful, negative voting again next fall, which would result in a lost
opportunity to elect new Democrats in Congress as well. If
progressives want to enact real change in Congress and take our
government back, we need to face up to reality before our wishful
thinking sets us up for failure next fall.
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Saturday, January 19, 2008
Digging In the Right Place
AlterNet: Health and Wellness: Digging In the Right Place David Sirota
There's a memorable moment in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when Indiana Jones sees a rival's archaeological excavation and realizes the buried treasure is somewhere else.
"They're digging in the wrong place!" he exclaims.
The line could explain why our national elections leave us feeling empty. By expecting so much so fast from Washington D.C., we are digging for "change" in the wrong place.
Think about it: The White House can only be won by raising truckloads of cash from moneyed interests looking to preserve the status quo. Likewise, the U.S. Senate's filibuster rules allow 41 lawmakers, representing just 11 percent of the population, to stop anything. These are institutions designed to prevent change, not embrace it.
Thankfully, the same cannot be said for the so-called "laboratories of democracy" -- state legislatures. Amid pundits' breathless analyses of Hillary Clinton's tear ducts, these arenas quietly opened throughout America this month. And from beneath the rubble of celebrity-obsessed campaign journalism and the ruins of national political gridlock, change is being exhumed in two bellwether states.
In a move making health care lobbyists quiver, Washington state Sen. Karen Keiser (D), chairwoman of her legislature's powerful health committee, this week introduced the nation's most far-reaching universal health care proposal. Her legislation is the American West's version of a parallel Wisconsin initiative, and the replication suggests this model may begin building the universal health care system our country wants.
The plan is simple: Employers and employees pay a modest payroll tax in exchange for full medical benefits, with no premiums. Patients never lose coverage and pick the doctors they prefer. And for the spendthrifts, here's the best part: According to an analysis of the Wisconsin proposal by the nonpartisan Lewin Group, the plan would save middle-class families an annual average of $750 on their existing health care bills. In all, the state would save almost $14 billion over the next decade.
Seem too good to be true? That's because you're used to being bilked by an insurance industry that drives up premiums, drives down benefits and gives executives like former UnitedHealth CEO William McGuire $1.6 billion worth of stock options in one year. Eliminating that greed is precisely how the Washington state and Wisconsin proposals simultaneously save money and cover everyone.
Unlike the much-touted Massachusetts law forcing citizens to buy insurance from the private profiteers, the Washington and Wisconsin models pool all existing health care expenditures and then replace the middlemen with one publicly controlled, not-for-profit system. That structure attacks problems beyond the immorality of allowing 18,000 Americans to die each year because they lack health coverage.
For businesses faced with crushing health care costs, the Lewin Group predicts the plan will save private-insuring employers almost $700 million a year. For politicians looking to provide economic stimulus in the face of a recession, the nonpartisan Families USA estimates the proposal's investments will create 13,000 new jobs. Even tax reformers have something to like, as Wisconsin's version directs much of the system's savings into property tax relief.
The Royalist Right is distraught about the plan. When an initial draft passed the Wisconsin Senate last year, the Wall Street Journal's editorial board attacked it on the grounds that it "reduces out-of-pocket copayments" and "increases the number of mandated medical services covered" for patients. Wow. Sounds just awful.
The paper then criticized it as a tax increase and labeled it "government-run" -- as if patients are better served by paying even bigger premium increases to corporate CEOs whose paychecks grow with each coverage denial.
The screed showed how little conservative elites care, not just for the uninsured, but for the working-class wing of the Republican Party -- the roughly 40 percent of GOP voters who, according to the Pew Research Center, tell pollsters they "favor universal health coverage, even if it means higher taxes." These voters are part of a new transpartisan consensus -- one that believes the words of the hero we remember this week. "Of all the forms of inequality," Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane."
Those desiring "real change" should applaud these Washington and Wisconsin leaders confronting that injustice. Unlike the nearsighted nabobs of national politics and the adversaries of Indiana Jones, these state legislators are digging in the right place.
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Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Sojourners : SojoMail : Back Issues
Sojourners : SojoMail ::
HEARTS & MINDS BY JIM WALLIS
My Prayer for 2008
The year of 1968 was very significant in my life, and a decisive one for the nation. It was the year when the hopes borne by the social movements of the 1950's and 60's were dashed by the assassinations of, first, Martin Luther King Jr., and then Robert F. Kennedy.
If Robert Kennedy had lived to become president on the inside (as he surely would have) and Martin Luther King Jr. had lived to lead a movement from the outside, the U.S. and the world might be very different today. But the most hopeful political leader of his time and the most important movement leader of the century were both struck down, and 1968 was the turning point when everything began to go wrong in America. I remember my feelings at the time vividly. King had been the leader of the movements that had captured my imagination and commitment as a young activist; and Kennedy was the only politician who won my political trust. I was getting ready to take a break from college to work on his presidential campaign when he was killed.
Ever since 1968, the door has been closed to real social change in the U.S. Since 1968, we have been wandering in the wilderness. The coming New Year - 2008 - marks 40 years of that wandering, a passage of time I have been pondering as we enter into it.
HEARTS & MINDS BY JIM WALLIS
My Prayer for 2008
The year of 1968 was very significant in my life, and a decisive one for the nation. It was the year when the hopes borne by the social movements of the 1950's and 60's were dashed by the assassinations of, first, Martin Luther King Jr., and then Robert F. Kennedy.
If Robert Kennedy had lived to become president on the inside (as he surely would have) and Martin Luther King Jr. had lived to lead a movement from the outside, the U.S. and the world might be very different today. But the most hopeful political leader of his time and the most important movement leader of the century were both struck down, and 1968 was the turning point when everything began to go wrong in America. I remember my feelings at the time vividly. King had been the leader of the movements that had captured my imagination and commitment as a young activist; and Kennedy was the only politician who won my political trust. I was getting ready to take a break from college to work on his presidential campaign when he was killed.
Ever since 1968, the door has been closed to real social change in the U.S. Since 1968, we have been wandering in the wilderness. The coming New Year - 2008 - marks 40 years of that wandering, a passage of time I have been pondering as we enter into it.
NJ Renounces Culture of Death
I believe society must first determine if its endorsement of violence begets violence, and if violence undermines our commitment to the sanctity of life. To these questions, I answer, "Yes."
- Governor Jon S. Corzine, announcing the abolition of the death penalty in New Jersey. Corzine also stated, “Other good people will describe today’s actions in quite different terms — in terms of injustice — particularly those who carry heavy hearts, broken hearts from their tragic losses. This bill does not forgive or in any way condone the unfathomable acts carried out by the eight men now on New Jersey’s death row. They will spend the rest of their lives in jail.” (Source: The New York Times)
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Comedian Says Minnesota Run Is a Serious One - New York Times
Comedian Says Minnesota Run Is a Serious One - New York Times: "“They were 11 when Bush became president,” he often says of young voters. “Some don’t remember that a president can be articulate. They don’t remember that the federal government worked. And the saddest thing was that they don’t remember that our country was well respected around the world.”"
Monday, December 03, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
JBooks.com - Fiction: Not by Might and Not by Power
JBooks.com - Fiction: Not by Might and Not by Power: "And perhaps this astute understanding of heroism is more in line with Hanukkah’s true meaning. Despite the historical fact that Hanukkah represents a military victory, the rabbis of the Talmud chose to focus on the miracle of a cruse of oil, and the light that faith brings in the world. While it may be tempting to glorify military might—and define heroism by such metrics—the story of Chanukah and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay subtly caution us against such a line of thinking. And this message is echoed by the prophet Zechariah whose words we read on Shabbat Chanukah, “Not by might, nor by power, but through My spirit” can miracles exist, and freedom and heroism endure."
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanks Givng
Just a word of thankfulness
from Schwartz
Thirty-nine years after giving up Turkey, I am so grateful for Tofurkey
and Morningstar Farms. Your have to have eaten Worthington Foods
canned Chix or Salisbury Steak from the Seventh Day Adventists
to realize how far the fake-meat industry has come. To my fellows in turkey
sparing , Eli, Jordan, Sara, have a good one.
And to the spirit of Renee, my mom who thought I was kidding 39 Thanksgivings
ago. Sorry for your agony.
m
November 22, 2007
by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt Corley, and Ali Frick
THANKSGIVING
We're thankful Congress has "wasted time" trying to end the war in Iraq.
And last but not least: We're thankful to The Progress Report readers for their tips, energy, and support.
21 Reasons To Give Thanks
NOTE: There will be no Progress Report on Thursday or Friday. Your regularly scheduled Progress Report will return Monday, November 26.
We're thankful for our country's troops.
We're thankful the minimum wage has been increased for the first time in a decade.
We're thankful MC Rove has more free time to work on his dance moves.
We're thankful Congress has "wasted time" trying to end the war in Iraq.
We're thankful radio stations don't play "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."
We're thankful for journalists like Molly Ivins, who was never afraid to "raise hell."
We're (not) thankful for wide stances.
We're thankful to Michael Moore, whose documentary SiCKO started a national discussion on health care reform.
We're thankful we can now call Al Gore the "Oscar-winning, Emmy-winning, Nobel Prize laureate" former vice president of the United States.
We're thankful Andy Card and Alberto Gonzales won't visit our bedside if we're sick in the hospital.
We're thankful not all Dick Cheney's cousins think like he does.
We're thankful to be considered one of the "ten most dangerous organizations in America."
We're thankful that visiting the Mall of America isn't really like visiting Iraq.
We're thankful President Bush isn't giving out any more back rubs.
We're thankful for 12-year olds who can take down Rush Limbaugh in a fight.
We're thankful our Halloween costumes aren't very "original."
We're thankful no one (except the birds) gets hurt when Dick Cheney goes hunting now.
We're thankful for "phony soldiers" who have the courage to speak out about the war in Iraq.
We're thankful the "Commander Guy" has only 425 days left in office.
And last but not least: We're thankful to The Progress Report readers for their tips, energy, and support.
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Borowitz Report .com: "Bush Issues 'Thankfulness List' Pre-Thanksgiving Radio Address
In a special pre-Thanksgiving radio address broadcast from the White House, President George W. Bush asked his fellow Americans to join him in giving thanks for the following things:
“My fellow Americans, let’s be thankful for global warming, because as these winter months approach, it makes the world such a nice, toasty place.
“Let’s be thankful for all of the food on our tables, unless some of it is from China.
“Let’s be thankful that Pakistan will have free and fair elections, and maybe someday we will, too.
“Let’s be thankful for the iPhone, except for those losers who actually paid full price for it.
“Let’s be grateful that I didn’t take out a subprime mortgage on the White House like Mr. Cheney told me to.
“Let's be thankful that nuclear weapons haven’t fallen into the hands of the wrong people, like Nancy Pelosi or Rosie O’Donnell.
“Let’s be thankful that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s writers are on strike, and hopefully will stay that way for the rest of my term in office.
“Let's be thankful that even though my approval numbers are falling, they’re still higher than my grades at Yale.
“Let’s be thankful that Osama dyed his hair in his last video, because that made him look really gay.
“Let's be thankful for Guitar Hero III, which really helps you get through those long Cabinet meetings when they're going on and on about the economy.
“Let's be thankful that our military commanders have nothing bad to say about the war in Iraq until after they’re retired.
“Let's be thankful that in nine months it will be August and then I can go on summer vacation again.
“And finally, my fellow Americans, let's be thankful that, even though Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize, I’m still a lock for the Nobel War Prize.”
comment:
LET'S BE THANKFUL THAT THIS TURKEY WILL BE A LAME DUCK NEXT THANKSGIVING
In a special pre-Thanksgiving radio address broadcast from the White House, President George W. Bush asked his fellow Americans to join him in giving thanks for the following things:
“My fellow Americans, let’s be thankful for global warming, because as these winter months approach, it makes the world such a nice, toasty place.
“Let’s be thankful for all of the food on our tables, unless some of it is from China.
“Let’s be thankful that Pakistan will have free and fair elections, and maybe someday we will, too.
“Let’s be thankful for the iPhone, except for those losers who actually paid full price for it.
“Let’s be grateful that I didn’t take out a subprime mortgage on the White House like Mr. Cheney told me to.
“Let's be thankful that nuclear weapons haven’t fallen into the hands of the wrong people, like Nancy Pelosi or Rosie O’Donnell.
“Let’s be thankful that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s writers are on strike, and hopefully will stay that way for the rest of my term in office.
“Let's be thankful that even though my approval numbers are falling, they’re still higher than my grades at Yale.
“Let’s be thankful that Osama dyed his hair in his last video, because that made him look really gay.
“Let's be thankful for Guitar Hero III, which really helps you get through those long Cabinet meetings when they're going on and on about the economy.
“Let's be thankful that our military commanders have nothing bad to say about the war in Iraq until after they’re retired.
“Let's be thankful that in nine months it will be August and then I can go on summer vacation again.
“And finally, my fellow Americans, let's be thankful that, even though Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize, I’m still a lock for the Nobel War Prize.”
comment:
LET'S BE THANKFUL THAT THIS TURKEY WILL BE A LAME DUCK NEXT THANKSGIVING
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Capitol Hill Capsules
And pharma's Special K street team has prevented a ban on reverse payments from getting out of the Senate, according to the Associated Press. Reverse payments are those made by brand-name drug manufacturers to generics maker to keep generics off the market longer. Nearly $40 billion in spending on K street by generic and brand-name drug companies over the last year has left Sen. Herb Kohl's (D-WI) pro-generics bill stranded in the Senate.(from The Prescription Project Weekly Reader of Community Catalyst)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Because only Americans are People....
Health Care Special Issue: Foreign Bodies: "he Democrats, meanwhile, are too cowed by the anti-immigration lobby--and the prospect of losing support for their individual health care plans--to defend the undocumented. Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have already decided to exclude illegal immigrants from their universal-coverage proposals, while Barack Obama has held his tongue on the issue. As a result, doctors such as Ludmir are likely to continue to see undocumented immigrants when their medical situation is most dire--and costly to society."
Saturday, November 10, 2007
US Among Worst in for Infant Deaths
WHY OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM SUCKS
US Among Worst in for Infant Deaths
The rate at which infants die in the United States has dropped substantially over the past half-century, but broad disparities remain among racial groups, and the country stacks up poorly next to other industrialized nations.
US Among Worst in for Infant Deaths
The rate at which infants die in the United States has dropped substantially over the past half-century, but broad disparities remain among racial groups, and the country stacks up poorly next to other industrialized nations.
In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available, roughly seven babies died for every 1,000 live births before reaching their first birthday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. That was down from about 26 in 1960.
Babies born to black mothers died at two and a half times the rate of those born to white mothers, according to the CDC figures.
The United States ranks near the bottom for infant survival rates among modernized nations. A Save the Children report last year placed the United States ahead of only Latvia, and tied with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia.
The same report noted the United States had more neonatologists and newborn intensive care beds per person than Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom—but still had a higher rate of infant mortality than any of those nations.
Doctors and analysts blame broad disparities in access to health care among racial and income groups in the United States.
Not surprisingly, the picture is far bleaker in poorer countries, particularly in Africa. A 2005 World Health Organization report found infant mortality rates as high as 144 per 1,000 births—more than 20 times the U.S. rate—in Liberia.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
JURY DUTY, Day One
OK, so it's unusual enough that I have jury duty today, just one day after David started his stint. So we travel together through the 'hood to the Essex County Courthouse and go through the metal detector. David goes to his assigned courtroom, and I hunker down with my bag load of books, puzzles, podcasts and Diet Mountain Dew. David tried to get me to take charge of his huge umbrella, but I plead "too much baggage."
The designated Juror Pool boss lady runs through the orientation. Meanwhile, I'm casing the room, categorizing the potential jurors. Categories included
A. Skinheads, Tatooed women and non-hippies with mullets.
B. Old hippie men with pony-tails.
C. African American professional types, including teachers, church ladies, one Clarence Thomasesque guy, and some very attractive young first-time jurors.
D. Multi-culturals who speak English better than the court staff.
E. Those who don't.
F. Tight-ass looking financial types
(one was a treasurer at Dunn and Bradstreet, it turns out.)
(I fit in Category G, the small elite pool of smug cynics those who think themselves perfect candidates for the jury, but know we'll be dismissed for having strong beliefs, too many bumper stickers and/or a radioactive profession. David is in the same group, but passes, because he doesn't let on about his strong beliefs, eschews bumper stickers and magnets, and claims "retired" as his profession.)
In the act of classifying people, I spot a guy sitting across from me who's not wearing a suit, but still looks very much the tightass cum backpack. He's taking in all the rules very seriously, making no eye contact with anyone. It strikes me that he's a dead ringer for, if a bit smaller than, Stephen Colbert. I continue to glance at him occasionally, and then listen as the names of jurors are called. Lo and behold, the guy responds to Steven Colberttttt (hard T). Later, in the courtroom we were both called to, he used the proper French nom de jour (sic).
Friends know I carry the video of Colbert's stint as host of the White House Press Dinner (2006) on my phone, the one where he dissed Bush to his damned face. The man is my hero, winner of my profile in courage award. I told him so today.
He didn't take me up on my invitation to lunch with David and me. I tried to win him over by telling him Eli is a fellow alum of the same program at Northwestern. I understood that he didn't understand we aren't like the other star seeking sycophants. I just wanted to do my social work interview and talk politics. I'm just pouting a little now.
Tomorrow, I'll just act like the annoyance he thinks I am and snap a couple of shots with my camera phone.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Trivial Pursuit - New York Times
The Trivial Pursuit - New York Times: Bob Herbert
"Al Gore is a serious man confronted by a political system that is not open to a serious exploration of important, complex issues. He knows it. “What politics has become,” he said, with a laugh and a tinge of regret, “requires a level of tolerance for triviality and artifice and nonsense that I have found in short supply.”"
"Al Gore is a serious man confronted by a political system that is not open to a serious exploration of important, complex issues. He knows it. “What politics has become,” he said, with a laugh and a tinge of regret, “requires a level of tolerance for triviality and artifice and nonsense that I have found in short supply.”"
Friday, October 12, 2007
Obama, Edwards Criticize Clinton on Iran
Obama, Edwards Criticize Clinton on Iran: "Obama said Democrats must stop believing they 'can't win elections unless they talk, act and vote like Republicans when it comes to foreign policy and national security.'"
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Concerns over Comcast TV & MSNBC
Concerns over Comcast TV
I have received a number of complaints over actions by Comcast TV. Apparently they are only providing CNN and Fox news in their basic package. The recent move of MSNBC to digital has created great concern on the part of Democrats that the news is slanted toward a more conservative message.
Here is the message:
In the past few days, Comcast TV has moved MSNBC to the Digital line up. What seems strange to me is the fact the the 2008 Democratic National Convention is coming to Denver and that Colorado is going to be an important state in the next election. MSNBC is a moderate left National News channel that features informative interviews on such programs a Hardball, Countdown and Scarborough.This channel is probably has a high percent of Democratic viewers. FOX News has a high percent of Right Wing Republican Viewers but the FOX channel remains on the less costly lineup. My question is why are Democrats having to pay more to view their prefered programming (forced to buy the Digital upgrade) and FOX viewers are not?
Robert
Littleton
Anyone who has additional comments should call or email Comcast and let them know what they think.
I have received a number of complaints over actions by Comcast TV. Apparently they are only providing CNN and Fox news in their basic package. The recent move of MSNBC to digital has created great concern on the part of Democrats that the news is slanted toward a more conservative message.
Here is the message:
In the past few days, Comcast TV has moved MSNBC to the Digital line up. What seems strange to me is the fact the the 2008 Democratic National Convention is coming to Denver and that Colorado is going to be an important state in the next election. MSNBC is a moderate left National News channel that features informative interviews on such programs a Hardball, Countdown and Scarborough.This channel is probably has a high percent of Democratic viewers. FOX News has a high percent of Right Wing Republican Viewers but the FOX channel remains on the less costly lineup. My question is why are Democrats having to pay more to view their prefered programming (forced to buy the Digital upgrade) and FOX viewers are not?
Robert
Littleton
Anyone who has additional comments should call or email Comcast and let them know what they think.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Sariel and Anthony get married
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007Getting Control of Health Costs -- For RealFrom Medscape General Medicine Webcast Video Commentary http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/562544 Posted 09/14/2007 Michael Dukakis Everybody talks about the cost of healthcare in the United States, and virtually everybody has a solution. In fact, we seem to be hit with a new one about once a week. First it was HMOs and managed care. They clearly haven't done much to stop double-digit health inflation, but they have managed to add billions to the administrative overhead of the system.[1] Then it was "consumer-driven healthcare." I call it "screw the little guy healthcare," but big copays and high deductibles won't solve the problem either.[2] What they will do is add even more administrative cost to the system and virtually guarantee a flood of unpaid bills. More recently we have heard about the wondrous cost-saving qualities of "pay for performance" and electronic records -- and apart from the billions that the latterwill require, there isn't the slightest evidence that they will get healthcare inflation under control.[3] Virtually all of these proposals are coming from people who tell us that if only we can create a healthcare "market," and people can shop around for their healthcare, all will be well. The fact of the matter is that the market doesn't work in healthcare. It never has and it never will -- for reasons that should be obvious to anybody who has taken the time to study the subject.[4] In the meantime, those advanced industrialized countries with whom we like to compare ourselves don't spend any time indulging themselves in the notion that the market can work in healthcare. And they seem to provide pretty good medical care at half the price we do with better health outcomes.[5] How do they do it? They treat healthcare as a public utility and they regulate its prices. And they do it with a fraction of the administrative overhead and bureaucracy that plague our system. So maybe it's time to show the health marketers the door and get serious about universal coverage in this country with cost controls that are reasonable, fair, and effective. If we don't, I believe we are doomed to massive increases in health costs for as far as the eye can see. That's my opinion. I'm Mike Dukakis, the former Governor of Massachusetts. Technorati Tags: universal health care Powered by ScribeFire. Tuesday, September 25, 2007YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLD WHEN..................... their mothers squealing today when I told them that I frequently text message as a means of communication. Saturday, September 22, 2007Health Care Hopes - New York Times
Health Care Hopes - New York Times Paul Krugman: "There won’t be a
serious Republican alternative. The health care plans of the leading Republican candidates, such as they are, are the same old, same old: they principally rely on tax breaks that go mainly to the well-off, but will supposedly conjure up the magic of the market. As Ezra Klein of The American Prospect cruelly but accurately puts it: “The Republican vision is for a world in which the sick and dying get to deduct some of the cost of health insurance that they don’t have — and can’t get — on their taxes.” But the G.O.P. nominee, whoever he is, won’t be trying to persuade the public of the merits of his own plan. Instead, he’ll try to scare the dwindling fraction of Americans who still have good health insurance by claiming that the Democrats will take it away." Tuesday, September 18, 2007Time to end Family Rule
It is no longer possible to argue between the lesser of two evils.
The corporate state, which is carrying out a coup d’etat in slow motion and has already shredded most of our constitutional rights, is an unmitigated evil. We do not need charity. We need justice. And all of Bill Clinton’s heart-warming stories about giving are not going to save us from the corporations who sucked out his soul and seek to imprison the rest of us. Monday, September 17, 2007Sunday, September 16, 2007Saturday, September 15, 2007The Visit  We had a visit last week from our Colorado cousins. Always a great way to rediscover New York. Hearing someone decleare the presence of goosebumps" at the sight of the Statueof Liberty and Ground Zero reminds us of our jadedness. How else do we cope with the sense of powerlessness and rage at the assault on liberties we witness each day, or with the fact that our country doesn't care about Lazarus' "tired or poor," even within its own borders? Friday, September 14, 2007Saturday, September 08, 2007Tuesday, August 28, 2007John Edwards Has the Right Stuff"
Real change starts with being honest -- the system in Washington is rigged and our government is broken. It's rigged by greedy corporate powers to protect corporate profits. It's rigged by the very wealthy to ensure they become even wealthier. At the end of the day, it's rigged by all those who benefit from the established order of things. For them, more of the same means more money and more power. They'll do anything they can to keep things just the way they are -- not for the country, but for themselves. The system is] controlled by big corporations, the lobbyists they hire to protect their bottom line and the politicians who curry their favor and carry their water. And it's perpetuated by a media that too often fawns over the establishment, but fails to seriously cover the challenges we face or the solutions being proposed. This is the game of American politics and in this game, the interests of regular Americans don't stand a chance. " It's a structural argument, and Edwards didn't pull punches in calling out his fellow Democrats, saying: "We cannot replace a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats, just swapping the Washington insiders of one party for the Washington insiders of the other." The rhetoric was a clear signal that Edwards is going to beat the drums of reform as a contrast to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the primaries. The most striking aspect of Edwards' speech was his implicit argument that class still exists. For years, both parties have obscured the divisions that are so prominent in modern American society, painting a picture of a country in which we're all part of an entrepreneurial class with more or less similar interests - a key ingredient in the false "center" to which politicians and Beltway pundits kow-tow. "Let me tell you one thing I have learned from my experience," Edwards said last week. "You cannot deal with them on their terms. You cannot play by their rules, sit at their table, or give them a seat at yours. They will not give up their power -- you have to take it from them." Powered by ScribeFire. Monday, August 27, 2007Thursday, August 23, 2007Thursday, August 16, 2007Hard Time- (click this link)
The eminent Attorney General is pushing
through an order to "fast track" death penalty cases so that lengthy appeals process and time between conviction and execution can be shortened. When is he going to be sentenced? Click this link. GOOD 006 - Transparency - Hard Time Wednesday, August 15, 2007Monday, August 13, 2007Thursday, August 02, 2007Wednesday, July 25, 2007Tuesday, July 24, 2007UP HIS ASS!Health Care vs. the Profit Principle".....Speaking in Cleveland this week,Bush boldly asserted:
Wednesday, July 18, 2007Tuesday, July 17, 2007Life in the Balance
In my three part-time jobs as a social worker, I encounter
a number of children and young adults who face challenges beyond what many of us can imagine. They never cease to amaze me. I don't like using the word 'courageous' loosely about people who have no choice but to deal with chronic and terminal illnesses. There are some, however, who display such style and grace as they cope, that they make me wonder about the source of their spirit. One of those youngsters is fighting for her life at this moment, and I just pray that she doesn't tire. This is a kid who lives with a level of daily pain that would sideline most of us, but who was voted "best personality" in her recently graduated senior class. Her experience with life-threatening lupus has changed her in the most positive ways, and she reaches out to others who face lesser challenges. I've never been able to imagine why kids get sick and face such horrors,and don't entertain such wasteful exercises. I just pray and wish and hope that this warm, beautiful, funny, really funny young woman can prevail.
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