Shutting Down The Health Care Debate

It is clear that the Republicans simply want to shut down this entire debate. They don’t want to risk losing the huge amounts of money from the industries this will affect such as insurance, medical supply and pharmaceutical. What is most insane to me is that the people screaming at these meetings are a combination of real and paid “screamers”. The “real” screamers are those who have been spoon fed lies and swallow blindly. They don’t bother to search out truth and therein by ferret out their own educated opinion. They simply regurgitate the bile the Republicans shove down their throats like force fed geese whose livers are being readied for the pate` can.

I also truly believe that the far right exploits the feelings of those who fear what they see as a shift in power; a shift from having all white people in power. Now we have people of color in powerful positions. President, Attorney General, Mayors, respected university professors and the list continues to grow; admittedly, there are some who may not understand or want to admit that this is the fear they are feeling. There is that strong under current of race in the health care debate and the Republicans and their most far right extremists are using it to destroy any progress to a more humanistic society.

We must combat the onslaught. Push it back to the dark and venomous place where it is rooted. Every voice, every word that is raised to attack must be met with measured, mindful counterbalance. The best of us as a whole will overcome the worst of us. We understand that to survive as a species we must work for the betterment of all people and not just those few privileged. Dictators throughout history have known a formula for power: Keep the people poor, ignorant and in fear and you will control them.

We shall overcome!

Justice Sotomayor

On August 6, 2009 the U.S. Senate took a vote, 68 yeas 31 nays, Sonia Sotomayor, of New York, was confirmed to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. It should be noted that nine Republicans voted in favor of her confirmation. Considering Sotomayor’s record, it is even more important to note the 31 Republicans who voted against her confirmation. When a judge has a record such as Sonia Sotomayor’s, it gives working Americans reason to pause and wonder why these aforementioned “31” said no to advancing the first Latina to the highest of our nation’s courts. Let us be clear of her record.

Scotusblog.com reported the following:

"A study by New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice has analyzed 1,194 constitutional cases decided during Judge Sotomayor’s tenure on the Second Circuit and found her to be solidly in the mainstream of the bench. On the Second Circuit, Judge Sotomayor has voted with the majority in 98.2% of constitutional cases and 94% of her constitutional decisions have been unanimous."

So, according to this study, the 31 Republicans who voted against Sotomayor could not have found fault in her record. Could it be they felt it more important to be partisan? Let’s understand the word “partisan”. Mirriam-Webster defines it in part as: one exhibiting blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance.

Do you think as I do what the next thought should be? Who are they [the 31] aligning their allegiance to? We must reason this out. If these Republicans do not want someone who has proven to be “mainstream” in their ideals and judgments, then they must in reality desire someone who is not mainstream, someone who will use the office to interpret the Constitution more to the liking of let’s say corporate America? Mainstream rulings are used as a benchmark because “mainstream” is simply another way to say, this is the way most Americans think. Think about it, “…the way most Americans think.” Before Justice Sotomayor, the Court was overloaded with conservative, right-leaning judges. The last six appointed by Republican Presidents. Reagan, Bush and Bush II all appointed two judges each to the Supreme Court. It has been 15 years since a Democratic President appointed a Justice to the Supreme Court. It is vital to working America that we have true balance in our highest court of law. We must remember that Lady Justice holds a scale in one hand for a reason.

Justice Sotomayor is much more than a judge with a history of mainstream Constitutional rulings. She embodies what working families across America are and have always been. Just as many of our parents who worked as factory workers, truck drivers, waitresses, farmers etc. wanted us, their children to have more; we too want our children to have more. We as working America want more choices, more freedoms, and more doors that open to everyone and not just some.

She was able to use education and a work ethic learned from her mother to push open doors, proudly step over the barriers blocking women and especially women of color and to ensure freedom and fair justice to all regardless of the size of their bank account. I will say here and now that I whole heartedly agree that where we come from does frame who we become. To be sure, we are not made of stone – we reshape ourselves with each experience we encounter throughout our lives.

Americans – yes, just us regular working Americans must know and see when we are being bamboozled. The conservative vein of politics wants to be sure there is always an “Us and Them”.

We must take this time to understand what a remarkable moment it was when Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as our next Justice to the Supreme Court. Having a Justice with true mainstream values is essential to regular working Americans all throughout this wonderful country of ours.

Justice Sotomayor has stood against unfair workplace practices including discrimination in the workplace. She has insured people are paid fair wages and received proper benefits that they were entitled too; and has recognized that being mistreated for union activity was reason for granting asylum in this country.

It is imperative to understand that when the Republicans say things like, “You should make your own way and not let government get into your personal life.” What they are really saying is, “You’re on your own buddy and leave us out of it, and we don’t really care about you, just your vote!” To often we as individuals cannot fight against large corporations. We need the government to step in and make rules and laws that protect us, the people! If the government does nothing, we are at the mercy of corporate America and they have made it clear that the supply of mercy does not meet the demand.

Justice Sotomayor will bring the mainstream’s [the People’s] voice back to the Supreme Court. We have one of our own, one who understands what it is to work hard for the life they have. Justice is blind, Justice is balanced and for the first time in our Nation’s history, Justice is Latina! The voice and heart of working families will be heard.

Proof Positive of the Need for a Public Option

Testimony of Wendell Potter, Philadelphia, PA Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
June 24, 2009 Click here to view the video

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to be here this afternoon. My name is Wendell Potter and for 20 years, I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies, and I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick — all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors.

I know from personal experience that members of Congress and the public have good reason to question the honesty and trustworthiness of the insurance industry. Insurers make promises they have no intention of keeping, they flout regulations designed to protect consumers, and they make it nearly impossible to understand — or even to obtain — information we need. As you hold hearings and discuss legislative proposals over the coming weeks, I encourage you to look very closely at the role for-profit insurance companies play in making our health care system both the most expensive and one of the most dysfunctional in the world. I hope you get a real sense of what life would be like for most of us if the kind of so-called reform the insurers are lobbying for is enacted.

When I left my job as head of corporate communications for one of the country's largest insurers, I did not intend to go public as a former insider. However, it recently became abundantly clear to me that the industry's charm offensive — which is the most visible part of duplicitous and well-financed PR and lobbying campaigns — may well shape reform in a way that benefits Wall Street far more than average Americans.

A few months after I joined the health insurer CIGNA Corp. in 1993, just as the last national health care reform debate was underway, the president of CIGNA's health care division was one of three industry executives who came here to assure members of Congress that they would help lawmakers pass meaningful reform. While they expressed concerns about some of President Clinton's proposals, they said they enthusiastically supported several specific goals.

Those goals included covering all Americans; eliminating underwriting practices like pre-existing condition exclusions and cherry-picking; the use of community rating; and the creation of a standard benefit plan. Had the industry followed through on its commitment to those goals, I wouldn't be here today.

Today we are hearing industry executives saying the same things and making the same assurances. This time, though, the industry is bigger, richer and stronger, and it has a much tighter grip on our health care system than ever before. In the 15 years since insurance companies killed the Clinton plan, the industry has consolidated to the point that it is now dominated by a cartel of large for-profit insurers.

The average family doesn't understand how Wall Street's dictates determine whether they will be offered coverage, whether they can keep it, and how much they'll be charged for it. But, in fact, Wall Street plays a powerful role. The top priority of for-profit companies is to drive up the value of their stock. Stocks fluctuate based on companies' quarterly reports, which are discussed every three months in conference calls with investors and analysts. On these calls, Wall Street investors and analysts look for two key figures: earnings per share and the medical-loss ratio, or medical "benefit ratio," as the industry now terms it. That is the ratio between what the company actually pays out in claims and what it has left over to cover sales, marketing, underwriting and other administrative expenses and, of course, profits.

To win the favor of powerful analysts, for-profit insurers must prove that they made more money during the previous quarter than a year earlier and that the portion of the premium going to medical costs is falling. Even very profitable companies can see sharp declines in stock prices moments after admitting they've failed to trim medical costs. I have seen an insurer's stock price fall 20 percent or more in a single day after executives disclosed that the company had to spend a slightly higher percentage of premiums on medical claims during the quarter than it did during a previous period. The smoking gun was the company's first-quarter medical loss ratio, which had increased from 77.9% to 79.4% a year later.

To help meet Wall Street's relentless profit expectations, insurers routinely dump policyholders who are less profitable or who get sick. Insurers have several ways to cull the sick from their rolls. One is policy rescission. They look carefully to see if a sick policyholder may have omitted a minor illness, a pre-existing condition, when applying for coverage, and then they use that as justification to cancel the policy, even if the enrollee has never missed a premium payment. Asked directly about this practice just last week in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, executives of three of the nation's largest health insurers refused to end the practice of cancelling policies for sick enrollees. Why? Because dumping a small number of enrollees can have a big effect on the bottom line. Ten percent of the population accounts for two-thirds of all health care spending. The Energy and Commerce Committee's investigation into three insurers found that they canceled the coverage of roughly 20,000 people in a five-year period, allowing the companies to avoid paying $300 million in claims.

They also dump small businesses whose employees' medical claims exceed what insurance underwriters expected. All it takes is one illness or accident among employees at a small business to prompt an insurance company to hike the next year's premiums so high that the employer has to cut benefits, shop for another carrier, or stop offering coverage altogether — leaving workers uninsured. The practice is known in the industry as "purging." The purging of less profitable accounts through intentionally unrealistic rate increases helps explain why the number of small businesses offering coverage to their employees has fallen from 61 percent to 38 percent since 1993, according to the National Small Business Association. Once an insurer purges a business, there are often no other viable choices in the health insurance market because of rampant industry consolidation.

An account purge so eye-popping that it caught the attention of reporters occurred in October 2006 when CIGNA notified the Entertainment Industry Group Insurance Trust that many of the Trust's members in California and New Jersey would have to pay more than some of them earned in a year if they wanted to continue their coverage. The rate increase CIGNA planned to implement, according to USA Today, would have meant that some family-plan premiums would exceed $44,000 a year. CIGNA gave the enrollees less than three months to pay the new premiums or go elsewhere.

Purging through pricing games is not limited to letting go of an isolated number of unprofitable accounts. It is endemic in the industry. For instance, between 1996 and 1999, Aetna initiated a series of company acquisitions and became the nation's largest health insurer with 21 million members. The company spent more than $20 million that it received in fees and premiums from customers to revamp its computer systems, enabling the company to "identify and dump unprofitable corporate accounts," as The Wall Street Journal reported in 2004. Armed with a stockpile of new information on policyholders, new management and a shift in strategy, in 2000, Aetna sharply raised premiums on less profitable accounts. Within a few years, Aetna lost 8 million covered lives due to strategic and other factors.

While strategically initiating these cost hikes, insurers have professed to be the victims of rising health costs while taking no responsibility for their share of America's health care affordability crisis. Yet, all the while, health-plan operating margins have increased as sick people are forced to scramble for insurance.

Unless required by state law, insurers often refuse to tell customers how much of their premiums are actually being paid out in claims. A Houston employer could not get that information until the Texas legislature passed a law a few years ago requiring insurers to disclose it. That Houston employer discovered that its insurer was demanding a 22 percent rate increase in 2006 even though it had paid out only 9 percent of the employer's premium dollars for care the year before.

It's little wonder that insurers try to hide information like that from its customers. Many people fall victim to these industry tactics, but the Houston employer might have known better — it was the Harris County Medical Society, the county doctors' association.

A study conducted last year by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed just how successful the insurers' expense management and purging actions have been over the last decade in meeting Wall Street's expectations. The accounting firm found that the collective medical-loss ratios of the seven largest for-profit insurers fell from an average of 85.3 percent in 1998 to 81.6 percent in 2008. That translates into a difference of several billion dollars in favor of insurance company shareholders and executives and at the expense of health care providers and their patients.

There are many ways insurers keep their customers in the dark and purposely mislead them — especially now that insurers have started to aggressively market health plans that charge relatively low premiums for a new brand of policies that often offer only the illusion of comprehensive coverage.

An estimated 25 million Americans are now underinsured for two principle reasons. First, the high deductible plans many of them have been forced to accept — like I was forced to accept at CIGNA — require them to pay more out of their own pockets for medical care, whether they can afford it or not. The trend toward these high-deductible plans alarms many health care experts and state insurance commissioners. As California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi told the Associated Press in 2005 when he was serving as the state's insurance commissioner, the movement toward consumer-driven coverage will eventually result in a "death spiral" for managed care plans. This will happen, he said, as consumer-driven plans "cherry-pick" the youngest, healthiest and richest customers while forcing managed care plans to charge more to cover the sickest patients. The result, he predicted, will be more uninsured people.

In selling consumer-driven plans, insurers often try to persuade employers to go "full replacement," which means forcing all of their employees out of their current plans and into a consumer-driven plan. At least two of the biggest insurers have done just that, to the dismay of many employees who would have preferred to stay in their HMOs and PPOs. Those options were abruptly taken away from them.

Secondly, the number of uninsured people has increased as more have fallen victim to deceptive marketing practices and bought what essentially is fake insurance. The industry is insistent on being able to retain so-called "benefit design flexibility" so they can continue to market these kinds of often worthless policies. The big insurers have spent millions acquiring companies that specialize in what they call "limited-benefit" plans. An example of such a plan is marketed by one of the big insurers under the name of Starbridge Select. Not only are the benefits extremely limited but the underwriting criteria established by the insurer essentially guarantee big profits. Pre-existing conditions are not covered during the first six months, and the employer must have an annual employee turnover rate of 70 percent or more, so most of the workers don't even stay on the payroll long enough to use their benefits. The average age of employees must not be higher than 40, and no more than 65 percent of the workforce can be female. Employers don't pay any of the premiums—the employees pay for everything. As Consumer Reports noted in May, many people who buy limited-benefit policies, which often provide little or no hospitalization, are misled by marketing materials and think they are buying more comprehensive care. In many cases it is not until they actually try to use the policies that they find out they will get little help from the insurer in paying the bills.

The lack of candor and transparency is not limited to sales and marketing. Notices that insurers are required to send to policyholders—those explanation-of-benefit documents that are supposed to explain how the insurance company calculated its payments to providers and how much is left for the policyholder to pay—are notoriously incomprehensible. Insurers know that policyholders are so baffled by those notices they usually just ignore them or throw them away. And that's exactly the point. If they were more understandable, more consumers might realize that they are being ripped off.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for beginning this conversation on transparency and for making this such a priority. S. 1050, your legislation to require insurance companies to be more honest and transparent in how they communicate with consumers, is essential. So, too, is S. 9 1278, the Consumers Choice Health Plan, which would create a strong public health insurance option as a benchmark in transparency and quality. Americans need and overwhelmingly support the option of obtaining coverage from a public plan. The industry and its backers are using fear tactics, as they did in 1994, to tar a transparent, publicly-accountable health care option as a "government-run system." But what we have today, Mr. Chairman, is a Wall Street-run system that has proven itself an untrustworthy partner to its customers, to the doctors and hospitals who deliver care, and to the state and federal governments that attempt to regulate it.

Health Care - Yes We Can

You know, health care is something that I used to wonder about - because I did not have any. I have had great health care for the last 16 years because of my employer. I work for a labor union who puts their money where it counts. Unions as employers still understand how valuable and important good affordable health care is. I only pay small co-pays and that's it.

I recently had a stent put in and some other 8 blockages cleared. The cost was slightly over $22,000.00 and I did not pay a cent. If I had not had good health insurance, no doubt I would still be walking around with that ticking time-bomb in my chest. Just waiting for the next bag of groceries that I carried in, or laundry basket that I toted up the stairs - the BANG, heart attack, and I would either be drowning in medical costs or dead. Not great choices hey?

The republicans are doing their best to block health care reform. The question would be why? What is the true reason they want to block it. Let's take a look at some of those possible reasons.

Today I looked up some of the funding resources of the campaign contributions of those who are trying their best to block these reforms. Odd that some are backed by very conservative "right to life" groups. I guess it would be because the government plan would pay for people to use planned parenthood or other organizations like them.

Maybe it is because the drug companies who spend a lot of their money backing republicans don't want our government to push down the price of new prescription drugs. We all know that if you buy a drug here in the U.S. it is going to cost you many times more that if you buy the same drug, from the same company in Canada. Gee, why is that? Could be because the Canadian government told them, "look, profit is profit, but then again, gouging is gouging and we will not stand for it."

Take a look at the health care page that the AFL-CIO has on their website. There is truth there. When I hear conservative republicans say that this will not help families it makes me so angry. This will help families. Those families who need health care and those who would end up filing for bankruptcy if they did not have health care coverage. Medical bills can pile up fast. In just a few months you can be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt due to some unexpected illness. No body wants to see you lose everything just because you got sick.

Call your representatives now and tell them to get back to work and pass health care reform now because we need it now! Don't know who or how to contact them? Go here and get the info and make the call. You don't have to be concerned about how you tell them - Just tell them to pass health care reform or you will vote for someone who will come election time.

Mattew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Yesterday, the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain (AZ), protested that the hate crimes amendment would be an inappropriate addition to the Department of Defense authorization bill.

"Speaking on the Senate floor, Senator McCain stated:

"This is a complete abdication of the responsibilities of the Judiciary Committee, but, more importantly, could hang up this bill for a long time while we have young Americans fighting and dying in two wars."

Is it just me, or is he saying it upsets him when "young Americans" die outside the US but he's okay with "young Americans" and other Americans dying within the US? How incredulous! He is blinded like many, with a prejudice that they would say they did not have. Well, guess what Senator, we know. I am sick and tired of people being "expendable" just because they are LGBT. There will be hate crimes law, whether it is now or a little later, but it will happen; just as same sex marriage will happen by the way. (yup, had to toss that at ya too.)

I feel strongly that funding for our military is crucial. I myself am a veteran; my last four years in the Army had been spent in a special forces aviation unit. (To those of you who know, our unit motto was,"Death Waits in the Dark") I am proud of my years serving my country. Make no mistake -- I wore that uniform to protect the rights of all Americans, not just some. So, in the end, at least for today -- Shame on John McCain for thinking less of the lives of victims of hate crimes. People killed or injured by the actions of those committing hate crimes are just as valuable and worthy of our protection, of our prayers and of our humanity as any soldier fighting on our behalf in lands so far from our own shores.

I myself have been a victim of hate crimes before the phrase was even part of the American lexicon. I was fortunate that those same skills I learned as a soldier saved me here at home when people thought that the words "gay man" were interchangeable with "weak and helpless". I fought physically against hate then, and I will continue to fight against it today and in the future in any way I can.

The day will come, it is near at hand -- we will, in a unified vision, see the dawn rise on that amazing day!

Fed Up With Wells Fargo Mortgage

There comes a time when you wonder why you try to be a good and faithful customer to a business. We have been great customers to Wells Fargo anent our home mortgage. In November of last year, my partner was laid off.

When January came round and the industry was not picking up, we thought we better contact Wells Fargo and let them know we might be having problems in a few months.

We contacted them and they told us to write a "hardship" letter and fax that along with all our financial information. We got it all together complete with a lovely spreadsheet with all our finance info laid out. Little did we know that the process would take over seven months! Then to our dismay and horror, they sent an overnight letter saying, "As we discussed..." Well, first off, "we" did not discuss anything! Their offer was to let us pay half our mortgage for three months then have a balloon payment of almost $8,000.00.

I called them and said, "Hey, what's this? We have always been good customers who have been a payment ahead on the mortgage and you offer us this lousy deal?" They guy, "Derrick" went over our info and found that somehow they had lost my income information. How, I'm not sure as over the seven months we faxed all the info at least 3 or 4 times! He said, "Don't worry, we can get the updated info to the "negotiator" and they can re-work this. It is clear you have a surplus at the end of each month."

I dutifully faxed my pay stubs to them within the next few days. A few weeks later, they contact me and let me know everything was going fine. HA! What a load of horse pucky! I found out on that call that they set up the lousy deal we told them not to do and would have been expecting $8,000.00 in three months. They did this without a signed document to do so. I told them what had happened on the last call and even though they admit they made a mistake, they told me that since we "declined" their "offer" we had to start from the beginning all over again.

After seven freaking months of work! I was so angry I thought my head would explode like a frikin cartoon character! No matter what they would not budge and I would not be allowed to speak to the negotiator who worked on our loan modification request.

My solution: I am going to find others like me in the state of Maryland and we will, as a group contact not only our elected Representatives, but the Attorney General's office. If need be, this may turn into a class action law suit. I am so sick and tired of companies like Wells Fargo treating good customers like crap.

We have never missed a payment and we were always a payment ahead until they started delaying our process. Stay tuned for more on this. We will become Wells Fargo's nightmare.

We are good customers and we deserve to be treated better!

If you have a story like mine and you are from Maryland, let me know. They might treat us like crap one by one...but wait till they have to deal with us as a unified and organized group!

McCain - Palin an Average Joe-Six Pack's Thoughts

A McCain-Palin White House is "fundamentally" wrong for our country. It's simple. Look at his record and the fact that he picked a running mate solely because she is a conservative woman whom they felt would appeal to the core of their party. Ya, that's nice, but you should also pick someone who is qualified for the job.

Let's face it - actuary tables say that McCain has a 1 in 3 chance of dying during his first term of President, the insurance companies know what they're talking about; it's their business to know these things. Do you really want someone like Palin running this country? Talk about a moose caught in the headlights.

Let's be real here. This would not frighten me so if she were really smart, but she's not. The RNC knows this and so does McCain, but they also needed someone they could use as an attack dog and then toss away like a net full of Alaskan salmon if they lost the election. If this were not the case, they would have picked someone like Sen. Elizabeth Dole who is much more qualified than Governor Palin. So Sarah...be ready to be tossed aside like yesterday's news after the election. Good thing you've still got your day job - but wait, that might just be gone too after your state's next elections. You have shown your true colors on a national scale and I have a feeling many in the state of Alaska will work really hard to give you the boot when the time comes. Gee, bet'cha ya never thought the "bridge to nowhere" was the nickname of your political career!

Speaking of swan songs - John McCain. Since I mentioned the actuary tables...maybe we don't really need to talk about this but let's anyway.

It amazes me how McCain thinks, as does the majority of the Republican Party that the American people can be lead around by their noses. We are a more informed people, especially the younger voters who will actually research what you tell them. They know that when you talk about tax incentives that you mean for the most wealthy. That has been your record! For almost 30 years in government you have supported the wealthy and left basic regular Americans to pay way more than their fair share. A leopard does not change its spots - just another fact.

The record is there and it is clear! So lie all you want, it is there in black and white. It is there glowing from research computers all over this nation and the world!

Let us begin with your health care tax. By taxing those of us who have an employer paid health care plan you again tax us, the middle class and the rich will receive a $5000k tax benefit right along with the rest who don't have an employer paid plan. Speaking of taxes still -- you have repeatedly given tax breaks to those companies who have off-shored our jobs! What is that all about? Let's go with Obama's plan and give the tax breaks to those companies who keep jobs here at home! If companies want to off-shore jobs, then tax them more for doing so. Make it worth their while to keep Americans working!

In the debate last night, McCain did not offer any detailed answers at all. It is clear that while he is saying one thing, he will just follow the same practices of G.W. Bush - say one thing and do just the opposite. People say to stop talking about Bush as he is a lame duck president...we must remember the past or we are doomed to repeat it. If McCain gets in the White House the quacking we hear from Washington will be the same we have been hearing for G.W. We cannot afford to repeat the past with McCain.

His choice of Veep also continues the practice of G.W. He too picked a very dangerous Vice President and just like Chaney, Palin also wants to expand the powers of the office of the VP. This cannot and should not be allowed.

"Cronies and Special Interests". McCain's top people are all former highly paid lobbyist. Nuff said. Well, one more thing, then "nuff said". Sen. McCain’s campaign chairman’s firm was a lobbyist on behalf of Fannie Mae.

Insiders of the Republican party are already discussing their dissatisfaction with the McCain campaign - especially when it comes to how they have handled the economic crisis. When looking from a distance, it appears the McCain-Palin campaign is beginning to list in the water. Some pundits have already begun to use phrases like "throw in the towel" when remarking on McCain's campaign. We do know one thing about McCain and that is that he is not a quitter - unfortunately he shares that trait with Bush as well. He also doesn't know when to stop.

I think it safe to say that we all know, as well as the rest of the world that Alkida was not in Iraq. There were no WMDs and just as Sen. Obama said. "...They took their eye off the ball..." The "ball" was in Afghanistan not Iraq. This has given our enemies the time they needed to re-group and Osama the time he needs to drag his dialysis machine into a new cave; no doubt one with cable TV and a pool. Electing Sen. Obama is our only real hope of getting Osama Bin Laden, getting our global respect back and creating an economy that is healthy and stable.

You know and I know that McCain will continue the shell game just like George Bush and we will never find Osama. The question really needs to be is "why?". It's like the Bush administration and his comrades like McCain just let Osama bin Laden walk. Is it because of the family ties that the Bush family has had with the Bin Laden family over the years in their oil dealings? Who knows? One thing is for sure -- they let him walk after he orchestrated the worst attacks American soil had ever witnessed!

In 1988 in an interview with Mother Jones magazine, John McCain said "...is Laden really the bad guy that's depicted?" See below that part of the interview.

MJ: You not only have had combat experience in Vietnam, but you were also a
prisoner of war. When you look at terrorism right now, with people like Osama
bin Laden, do you have any reservations about watching strikes like that?

John McCain: You could say, Look, is this guy, Laden, really the bad guy
that's depicted? Most of us have never heard of him before. And where there is a
parallel with Vietnam is: What's plan B? What do we do next? We sent our troops
into Vietnam to protect the bases. Lyndon Johnson said, Only to protect the
bases. Next thing you know.... Well, we've declared to the terrorists that we're
going to strike them wherever they live. That's fine. But what's next? That's
where there might be some comparison.

I am for the person who can do the best for our country - the person who will work for the interests of our country over their own interests. I have looked at John McCain's record and researched the legislation he has supported. Make no mistake. He works for the interests of the wealthiest people and companies in the U.S. not for middle class working people.

You have to read past the title of bills to know what they really are. Often the title is the opposite of what it really does, so for your own sake do the research! Go to www.thomas.gov and look at what McCain has done. Oh, and just to be sure...no need to research Gov. Palin as the GOP will be dropping her like an angry polar bear when they lose their bid for the White House. She will join the speaking tour -- maybe she can get Dan Quayle to open for her at her speaking gigs!

Friendship

Friendship can be an odd thing. I used to have a very large circle of people I called "friend". That is no longer the case. You see, I came to a point in my life that was very dark -- quite possibly the darkest moment in my life. Once I survived that I understood that I kept people in my life that were only there to draw my energy away and in exchange provided nothing. I made a choice then that I would have only people of a positive spirit in my life and removed the others from my circle of humanity.

It is amazing what a difference that can make in ones life! My own personal time of darkness began to change much faster -- the positive and dare I say healing energy of the people now left in my life began to infuse me with renewed hope for the future. What a wondrous thing that was. I should mention here too that I have come to embrace the fact that I am an introvert. I take charge of that proudly; it is not a thing to hide from or anything that I need to change. It is "okay".

When I do decide that I wish to keep a person in my circle, I will let them know that just because I don't join them often or seek them out on a daily basis it has nothing to do with them. It is my nature and they need to be okay with that if we are to remain friends. I think at times that this was passed to me from my father.

My father had always been a person who could be very happy to himself. I did not understand this till many years later as an adult. In understanding this about him I felt I knew him and myself better.

So often friends would do just about anything to get me out of my house.

They who were extroverts thought it insane to sequester oneself away. What they did not understand what that those same crowds that energized them, sucked the life out of me! I could not wait to get home or be someplace alone and re-energize my batteries -- my spirit.

I am so very fortunate now that I have friends who understand and better yet accept this aspect of me. Sometimes friends let friends say "no".

So remember that when you are trying to pull that friend into the cacophonous crowd. You see life, they see energy vampires!

Pity The Nation

Pity The Nation

By Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves

Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerers
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture

Pity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own

Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed

Pity the nation Oh pity the people
Who allow their rights to erode
And their freedoms to be washed away
My country, tears of thee
Sweet land of liberty!

Watch and Listen

I recall as a kid, I guess I was about 14 at the time, the day that our social studies teacher looked at us very intently. It was the day that the news was reporting of Nixon’s resignation to avoid impeachment.

The teacher leaned forward at her desk and looked each of us in the eye and said: “Remember this day – follow this in the newspaper and on television because this is an important moment that will be marked in history.” She went on to explain about the Senate’s attempt to impeach Andrew Jackson and how it failed by one vote. I remember her excitement -- it was amazing.

Today I feel the spirit of that teacher whispering in my ear: “Watch and listen, this is a moment in history”. In the cacophony of the campaign we can forget what a monumental moment it is that a person of color is a nominee for this nation’s highest office. I believe with all my heart that this person will also be our first African-American President. Senator Obama carries within him our hopes of true change.

When was the last time our nation felt that the President truly cared about the fears and hardships of the American people? We will have a President like that soon -- History refers often to the Kennedy presidency as “Camelot”. Well, pay heed to my old teacher and be mindful of what is happening; watch and listen as the sword is pulled from the stone once again, held higher with a renewed mission, a renewed hope.

Fall..Really?

Fall has always been one of my favorite if not most enjoyed time of year. Things are changing and not for the good I think. Each year fall seems to be slipping away more and more. This year in the D.C. area, October is in the record books as the warmest October yet. We have had day time temperatures in the 80's - so what happened to the nice cool days, leaves blowing all about?

After all, what is Halloween without the cold snap of air and leaves madly running across the ground - passing you as you run? Yes, we are thinking the same thing -- global warming. As much as the current administration of the White House want to ignore it and say it is not happening, fact is fact.

When I was a kid some 25 years ago we would get huge amounts of snow in northern Wisconsin. That is no longer the case. Often there will be more rain in the winter than snow. It does not get quite as cold there either - I recall some absolute bone chilling temperatures growing up.

Summers too are much warmer; as a kid we might see one day in the 90's but now most of the summer can be like that. There is no denying it although Bush is trying really hard to do so.

Well, today it is raining and somewhat cool. I am in hopes that this is the beginning of a true fall. I may not get to see the colors and take the walks through piles of blowing leaves that I like to do, but the change is here - I think, I hope.

Fall is supposed to be a time when the many things can rest and take that healing slumber. Storing up life to come bursting out in the spring. Let us hope that the world wakes from it's slumber and understands what is happening.

Choices of Direction

Which way to go, what to do when you get there. I am trying to find a way to change careers without having to start at absolute bottom in the new career choice. While my current work does include my new direction - which is writing, it does not include as much as I would like. Of course what I would like is to do this full time and make a living from just writing.

How do you explain to the new employer that you have been writing for years, but your job title was never anything close to "copy writer" or "content writer". I have writen content for the web and essays for books on assorted subjects. I see you peeking behind me and yes, there is that unfinished novel back there too.

I read somewhere once that if you get up each day and write, you are a writer - if you rise each day and sing, you are a singer. It does not matter if you are paid for it. It is something that is within you - it is a part of what makes you who you are and therefore it "is". It is with this thought in mind that I shall go out into the world and make my living doing what I love to do.

Follow me on my experiment. I shall perform assorted styles of writing and see what happens. Stay tuned for the first installment of the new adventure!

Tea

Hold in your mind as you sip your next cup of tea, that this often simple liquid’s journey began thousands of years ago. It humbly, aromatically, warmly sits in your cup infusing you with its sometimes mystical properties. Legend says this journey began in China in the year 2737 when an Emperor stopped to rest on a long journey. His servants were boiling some water and leaves from a wild tea bush fell into the water; the curious Emperor drank this new found beverage and found it not only pleasing but invigorating.

In the 1600s tea made its way to the American colonies. Tea remained a very popular beverage despite the “Tea Party” held in Boston. The race between tea and coffee is on going and will most likely remain so.

Each few years one ratchets itself up past the other in consumption. Once again we find ourselves at a time when tea, truly good tea is being sought out by many Americans. So, how to choose a great tea? You should note that I did not say “blend” as there are only 4 types of tea. There is black, green, white and oolong. The flavors you might get in the local store such as citrus etc. are simply that. They are flavors added to the tea – but all begin with one of the four teas I mentioned above.

When you choose a tea, you must understand your needs and why you want the tea. Each has properties unique unto themselves.

Black tea has been used throughout history for medical purposes, long before it became a breakfast tea. It helps relieve diarrhea, lowers cholesterol levels and helps prevent tooth decay. The tea has a therapeutic effect on gastric and intestinal illnesses because of its tannins, which decrease intestinal activity and exerts an anti-diarrheal effect. To get the maximum benefit for diarrhea, let the tea steep for a full 15 minutes. This releases a good amount of tannins, also drink it unsweetened.

Green tea possesses numerous compounds that have antioxidant and health-enhancing properties. One of the main compounds is the bioflavonoid catechin. Catechin works both alone and in conjunction with other flavonoids found in the tea and has both defense-supporting and free radical-scavenging properties. Recently, numerous scientific research studies have been published supporting the intake of green tea. Several of these studies conclude that green tea has heart-health benefits. Other studies show promise balancing overall health. Although these studies need additional supporting research to confirm their conclusions, it is clear that modern science is starting to prove what traditional Chinese health practitioners have known all along: green tea enhances our body and mind in many, many ways.

White tea is high in antioxidants, aids in detoxifying the body, studies show white tea is excellent for skin/complexion reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

Oolong tea Studies show that drinking Oolong during or after a high-cholesterol meal has been shown to lower the intake of fat content in the blood. Promotes healthy teeth, skin and bones.

The more I find out, the more I understand that tea is more than a beverage, it is a healing herb that also passes as a beverage.

Well, I think it's time to go brew a cup of tea and this moment calls for green as there is much to be done today and I will need a clear mind.

All Roads Lead To...

I happened to read a conservative news article about the Democratic candidates appearing on LOGO (the gay & lesbian TV network). There were a few articles commenting on the show, but then as always -- bang! A plug for the war. I could not stand it and sent this reply comment to the blog. I'm sure it will be hated, but then - do I care?

As posted on Humanevents.com

I was replying to an article called " Pandermonium: Dems Leave GLBT Group Confused"
by Ericka Andersen

My Reply:

A proverb says that "all roads lead to Rome”. In today’s world it seems all roads lead to another plug for our troops being someplace they shouldn't be. There were no WMDs only Bush’s lies to get us into this mess. He should have been focused on getting Osama – me thinks his family ties to the bin Laden family created an error in judgment. However, that aside; yes no one should be surprised to read or hear conservative rhetoric on a conservative site, TV station or radio station – that is their purpose. Go to more liberal places and you will find what you are looking for there as well.

What does bother me is that there is nary an unbiased place for news reporting any longer. There are very few reporters around that can keep themselves in check when it comes to intermingling their own viewpoints with the “story” and thus creating the ever-present slant. As a matter of fact – I don’t really know of a time and place where it was “just the facts” and nothing else.

As for the gay marriage issue – I have yet to hear any good reason against it. So some say it is against the Bible…well, that is a book for only some Americans not all so if it is against your specific religion, then don’t do it. They say it would weaken the institution of marriage to allow gays to marry; let’s face it, how many years has the whole Anna Nicole Smith marriage, divorce etc. been banging a dent in the institution of marriage. Even now that she is passed on, I doubt we have heard the last of it. Of course there have been many other public debacles of said institution over the years. The word marriage does not belong to any one person, group or religion. If allowing full and equal rights under the law makes you afraid – then find a country that oppresses freedom and I’m sure you will be happy there.

Inch by inch the rights for all Americans moves forward. It might be slowed, but never stopped. If the best one can get is “Civil Unions” then fine. We all know that once there are Civil Unions people will naturally refer to it as “marriage” because that word is too ingrained in the American lexicon. Civil Unions will be a phrase used by conservatives during the last breath of non-acceptance – but in the end a rose by any other name is still a rose.

Hairspray - 2007

Divine should be spinning his wig off in the grave! I have enjoyed Travolta in other films, but let's see the light here -- whoever decided that he should play this role in Hairspray has laid a huge egg. I had an open mind going in, but had to work way to hard throughout the entire film suspending reality each time Travolta hit the screen. It made me wonder if he ever watched and really paid attention to how a woman moves or speaks -- I have seen some pretty bad drag in my day...and this will go on that list. John...please, please never try this sort of thing again.

On to the rest of the cast -- they were wonderful! I was a bit disappointed that this was not filmed in Baltimore (The big studio should have kept up with a great Water's tradition) Baltimore is as much a cast member as any actor when it comes to anything Water creates.

Christopher Walken -- as always he is fabulous. He is the actor's actor.

I'm sure they could have done something else with the Queen's wardrobe, but maybe they were trying to make her look older than she is? Could have been a much more amazing wardrobe for her. (and yes, she was fabulous too).

All in all, the numbers performed were fun and engaging. Fun music and even a touching moment here and there. I will admit that Travolta's best moment is a love song and dance scene with Walken - but trust me it was Walken's spark that lit that scene. It is well worth a matinee price or video rental -- but if you must buy a DVD purchase the original with Divine; that is the one you should study in film class.

Adult Education - It Could Happen?

Do you wonder like me? Do you find it easier or harder to learn things as you get older? It seems that when I was much younger new technology was simple. I never had to read directions for that new gadget - I just made it work and within 15 minutes knew everything about it!

Today is so very different; granted the technology is much more sophisticated than it used to be but still, is it just me? Currently I am working on learning more about being a "webmaster". The first thing I have learned is that there are now more definitions for a "webmaster" than you can shake that proverbial stick at - and we're talking a big stick here! I was told by one online school when asked where to start..."with the fundamentals" they replied. Okay I thought, let's take a look and see. Well, there were three very different fundamental courses listed. It would have been nice if they would have said which one was best for a beginner webmaster.

I looked them over and picked one. Paid my $169.00 via my credit card, then waited. The books arrived a few days later. As I looked them over I thought "are these for webmaster or network administrator?". I have agonized over thoughts of continuing and moving ahead with the reading - getting certified in whatever it is that I'm reading or go to a community college and take night and weekend classes for a more structured approach.

It's in my nature to push through - not sure if it is always a good thing or not but I will read on. (If you hear a thump, it's just my head hitting the desk) Ya, the stuff is dry as a post with bits of interesting sprinkled here and there.

As I read on and the author speaks about UNIX and other systems my mind keeps drifting to mundane things -- has that bill been paid, should I cut the grass, has the dog been bathed lately? "Come on now, keep to the subject!" that inner voice screams to me. Why can't the inner voice study and let me know what's going on later when I'm more awake and apt to paying attention?

I tell myself each and every day that I will go home right after work and study.

I go home each night, fix dinner and watch TV.

Time is short. I need to finish this course ASAP or at least by November. Tonight I study. I am resolute in my decision.

So I'm back at the original question -- is it harder to learn as an adult or do you just find the right education method that fits you? I'll think about that and another nagging question: What's for dinner tonight? (sigh)

Unbroken Circle

Death is simply a continuation of the same journey. Another chapter and I think hardly the last. It is that part of the journey that is traveled without pen and paper -- it is a "No tattling" zone. Once you're there, you must not spoil it for those yet to come, the excitement should be fresh and clean for them. Unspoiled by other's perceptions.

Egad, what has prompted this little bit of writing? It is that moment when calm surrounds you and it is understood that one's parents are not here forever -- when you were not looking they became mortal. (how rude) The plan was for them to be around well, forever.

Recently my mother has been diagnosed with what I think is peripheral vascular disease. The veins in her legs are blocked almost completely. Under normal circumstances, they would attempt a balloon type surgery, but the veins in her legs are too small for that and they are afraid they will burst them (not good). There is also a bypass surgery, but due to her age and other factors, they advise against that as well. She had tried a medication to clear the blockage but the side affects are very severe and she could not tolerate them. End result is that it might very well contribute to an earlier death and a death that could come quite unexpectedly. Some part of the blockage will at some point in time, let itself loose and she will be in the "No Tattling Zone". I know what you're thinking -- and the answer is no. Just because she is my mom she is still not allowed to tell me anything once she is there.

As I speak with my mother, trying to not be too serious which is tough to do in conversations such as those, it appears she is keeping her spirits light. I know better -- she is scared. So often I have looked into her eyes and have seen the little girl she keeps there. She has held that part of her spirit in place. You see it best when a small simple thing gives her joy. The joy of a child shines much to bright to hide. Now near her mid seventies, she continues to plan for the future. Her dreams have not diminished due to age -- some of them may have changed or been switched out with something within her physical limitations, but none the less remain intact and continue to grow.

Jim Fiebig said, "Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone." There you have it - simple but true. We are the ones who complicate life, but in truth it's basics are actually quite simple.

I must admit that at this point, I too try and believe that this is not as serious as it is. That in no time, the doctor will say - "Hey, we can do this and fix everything!". But I have been looking for treatment options on the Internet and they are few. Some new things going on, but it is still in the research mode. If one of the research projects is going on close enough to my parents in Northern Wisconsin, maybe we can get her into one there. Of course being on Medicaid and Medicare with no other insurance does not help the situation either.

I am at a point in my life that I accept this last stage of earth-bound living. For many years I have believed that all things are connected by a physical energy, the energy of the Universe. You, me the tree you like to sit or stand under and yes, even the squirrel staring down at you from the tree's uppermost branches. We are all connected by the energy that is the Universe down to the last molecule.

For now -- I will enjoy the time I have with my parents and in doing so try so very hard to be mindful of the time I spend with all people. As we are all well aware, things change. The person handing you that Big Mac while thinking about how much their feet hurt might not be there a moment from now. This circle of life - of humanity and all things living may ebb and flow; it may become larger, then smaller, brighten and dim, but it will never expire or break.

A Note on Thanksgiving Day

Well, first I put up another pic of Barney with his favorite toy - napping, him not the toy. I need to get started on a side dish to bring to our friends house for T-day celebration. I am going to bring a sweat potato dish with a little bite. It so easy - just peel them, slice in rounds about an inch or a little larger. Layer in a baking dish, after first layer, sprinkle grated jalapeno peppers and a little sald and black pepper...continue doing this as you keep layering the potatoes. Pour a quart of heavy whipping cream over them, just till you barely cover them. Bake at 350 till brown and yummy looking on the top. YUM! Ok, time to get started or there will be no time for a side dish...we eat and 3 and it is 20 after 1...Eeeek!

More Fear and Hate

I was sent one of those blast emails from someone who really did not know me at all -- after I hit "reply", they got to know me a bit better. They were forwarding an article that appeared in a Florida newspaper.

I was responding to a message that again felt that you Must speak English and basically said that Christianity is the only respectable religion -- it started out saying:

"IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture."

Here is what I said in my reply:

Considering that the percentage of christians in the US is declining at a rate of about 0.9 percent a year, which means that by about the year 2042, just 37 years from now, non-Christians will outnumber the Christians in the U.S.

Today the "christian" population should thank the Latin immigrants since about 93 percent of all Latin Americans self-identify as Christian -- without them, the decline of christians in the US would be declining much faster if not for those non-english speaking people infusing their ranks.

The rhetoric here is clearly directed toward Latinos -- but when you say you "must" say season's greetings instead of "merry Christmas" , then surely the reporter also has a problem with the Jewish population as well. The reporter is simply trying to hide his bigotry behind a warped patriotism; although his xenophobia is clear and things like this email only foster such feelings.

I will leave this discussion with the poem by Emma Lazarus called "The New Colossus" that is on "OUR" statue of liberty: Note that there is not a disclaimer at the end..."but only if they speak English".

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips.

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Quick Note

Greetings,
Just wanted to post a pic of our new dog -- Barney! He came to us here in MD from Texas. His owners passed away and a friend of theirs asked if we still wanted a dog. We of course said a big YES. He is four years old and the best little dog. We got really lucky to get such a nice pooch! As you can see, he kinda missed the pillow, but he does not seem to care. :-) More on him later!