Out with the old, In with the new---a New Blog

I am giving up my Minivan Mom Revolt Blog. I have grown tired of writing about politics, even tough I find it fascinating. It was fun for a while, but I am more interested in writing about my experiences as a hospice nurse and lessons about life that I have learned from the dying.

Hope that you visit my new blog, What Death has Taught Me About Life

www.deathasmyteacher.blogspot.com


Thank you.

Easter break

Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there. ~Clarence W. Hall

Taking a wonderful springtime break. Hope you are, too.

R.I.P. Hate

“In time we hate that which we often fear.” William Shakespeare

I thought hate was dead.

I mean, we have seen so much hate over the years. Seems as though we hated black people and they us, and now we have a black President. Homosexuals of both genders are now some of our favorite celebrities, before they had to hide in shame. We not only accept them now, they can be married and we celebrate the event publicly. I mean, these are big steps forward. Progressive. Understanding of differences beats hate. I thought we were really growing up.

I was so hopeful of this promise of the end of hate and the beginning of acceptance of one other. A decade for the history books. My daughter would grow up in a better world.

And then they tried to pass a healthcare bill.

Suddenly, hate is all over the news. People spitting on people. People yelling racial slurs against people. Bricks thrown through office windows. Geesh. What is next?

I have to say that I am not going to point fingers in any one direction. Blame is everywhere. I have never felt more afraid to speak my views openly in my lifetime of 50 years. Scary stuff.

Friends against friends. Neighbor's fighting each other. Even families divided over this issue. And it is spreading like wild fire.

I thought a while back we were mad about the war. Not in any kind of hateful way, just angry. But that seems to be old news now, even though our troops are still dying, our deficit increasing and no end in sight. Seems that allowing someone to have health insurance is more important than the war that President Obama has now escalated by adding more troops. Didn't he promise to bring our troops home?

But, no bother about that anymore. We have to fight about who can have a primary care physician instead.

This is crazy to me. Is this who we have become?

And what about Sarah Palin? She is certainly fueling the fire. I hate to say this, but she is beyond a legend in her own mind. She is getting people riled up. And not in a good way. In a bad way. I mean really, "targeting" people? With pictures that look like rifle aims? That is over the top. Really dumb.

And I am tired of hearing about the "tea party movement" and the "coffee movement". Good grief. Sounds like the nation needs a bowel movement. Are we all just cranky and constipated with our own angst?

I am also tired of the rhetoric. TV has become a whine-fest courtesy of MSNBC and Fox News. The Republicans are evil; no, the Democrats are. I am starting to think that this is all about money and ratings and not anything about real news at all.

But you knew that already. I know.

And what is up with the Vice President dropping the F-bomb on TV? That is not good, either. A hateful word if ever there was one.

Have we all dumbed down this much? Have we become like the movie, "Idiocracy?"

It certainly seems we are headed that way.

And what are we teaching our kids? That hate is okay? That we do not have to take care of one another? That we can be disrespectful because we disagree with someone?

You know, bullying is escalating in schools. And most things are learned at home. So, you do the math.

I don't know what the answer is. I guess I will just hope that people come to their senses and denounce this ridiculous behavior. Maybe shed the fear that is pervading and fueling the hate.

So, what is it that we all fear so much that is making us so hateful?

Is it change? Is it the fear of someone else triumphing? What is it?

Guess we will never know for sure.

"Whether the melon falls on the knife, or the knife falls on the melon, it is still the melon that suffers."

I wish people could understand that.

What's it all About, Barry?

What's it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What's it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give
Or are we meant to be kind?
And if only fools are kind, Alfie,
Then I guess it is wise to be cruel.
And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie,
What will you lend on an old golden rule?
As sure as I believe there's a heaven above, Alfie,
I know there's something much more,
Something even non-believers can believe in.
What's it all about Alfie?
Just tell me, what's it all about?
What's it all about?


I am not feeling any love today. I thought that perhaps I would.

After all, we have just seen history being made. For us. The American people.

But I have never seen such divisiveness, such vitriol, such anger.

The war hasn't even sparked this much outrage.

But, allowing people to have health insurance has? I just don't get it.

Now President Obama is going out on a tour to sell a law that he has already passed to a nation that is perplexed as to what it all means.

And that brings me back to Alfie. He never really did figure it all out now, did he.

So, what is it really all about? Is that what is sparking the fear? The anger? That we really do not know? That we think it may impact us in a way that reaches into our own ability to receive the medical care that we have been receiving all along? Or is it something more primal?

I know, being a nurse these past 30 years, that our own health and that of our children is a very personal, somewhat intimate thing. And any changes to the status quo can be unnerving.

But, does it deserve this type of outrage? Nothing has even happened yet. Shouldn't we at least give it some time? All this anger is bad for our health. Geesh.

Anyway, I don't think that anyone really knows what it is all about; not Nancy Pelosi, not the Insurance Industry, not even President Obama. He made the play and now we have to just wait to see if we win the game.

So, is this really like the movie Alfie, which tells the story of a young man who leads a rather promiscuous lifestyle until several life reversals make him rethink his purposes and goals in life, but ends with him never figuring it all out anyway? I certainly hope not.

I would hope that this new legislation ends up being good for America. That we can finally figure it all out and know what it has been and still is all about.

Us.

Grandma is Going to be Angry.

Oh, boy. Now you guys have done it. Went and messed with the Seniors in the Healthcare Reform legislation. Oops. Not good.

Okay, so for the most part, Medicare is safe. Traditional Medicare that is. But, anyone who has one of those supplemental plans? You are going to see changes. They just wiped out the payments to keep them strong. And you will hear about it later this year.

The pundits are already talking about this "historic legislation" like it is the bravest, most wonderful thing our government has ever created. What?

I think Medicare was the greatest thing. Without Medicare, Seniors, who need medical care the most, would be in trouble.

But traditional Medicare never went far enough. It did not cover a lot of preventative things. So the government gave additional money to insurance companies to creat Medicare Advantage plans. And Seniors like it. A lot. 11 million and growing.

And now, there will be changes.

So look out for angry Grandma and Grandpa later this year. And by the way, they are the biggest voters.

Meanwhile, most of the meat in this new healthcare "reform" law will not happen until 2014. So, you can bet that Insurance companies are gearing up to screw us in other ways. Just like the bailed out banks who took our money and then cut off our credit and increased our interest rates to 30%. And the Government is doing nothing to stop it.

So, time will tell. But be on the look out for cane wielding seniors and many, many Democrats who will be trying to explain this to them come November.

Let the Spin Begin

This pretty much sums up the news this morning. Both sides are spinning the facts to their favor. The only losers here are us, the folks that really do not have a clue as to how this will all play out in the end.

Do we really think that the insurance companies will roll over and play dead? Do we really think that this bill is the first step toward universal healthcare? Come on. We are being fed bits and pieces of fluff to appease us.

We have had so called 'healthcare reform' in Massachusetts for some time now. All I have seen as a result of this reform package are that my premiums have increased, my co-pays have increased, my benefits have decreased, my town is receiving less money for services to the residents, our property taxes have increased, and the ER's are still jammed beyond belief. (People are NOT going to an MD for care---more are going to the ER)

I do not see healthier patients. I do not see everyone all happy and gleeful. I do see more services cut in our state for people who were already very well covered by health insurance, but can no longer enjoy simple life pleasures like attending the library because it will be closed more hours now. They can no longer go the the senior center, because, that too, is closed due to budget constraints. I have really not seen one positive outcome from healthcare reform here in Massachusetts. I especially, as a nurse, have not seen better patient outcomes. And that, to me, is the most important thing.

So, as the Democrats and the Republicans continue to fight over this bill, I will have to tune out. It is all just spin and there is no real substance. The bill isn't even completely written yet. Good grief.

Instead I will take more walks, try more yoga, eat healthier and try to control the one thing I can, my own health. Because, when you boil it down to reality, we are in charge of our own health and we have always been.

I don't need any more spin to tell me that.

After the Lovin'

"So, I sing you to sleep, after the lovin', I brush back the hair from your eyes. And the love on your face, it's so real that it makes me want to cry....."

Makes me want to cry, too.

All this post-coital bill-passing gush. It is enough to make a person think that something wonderful has happened. That this is the best thing to happen since, well since Barack Obama was elected President and this nation would not stand so divided anymore.

And look what he accomplished. It is not just a division anymore; it has all the makings of a total, out and out disunion.

But it is not simply all about the healthcare bill. Hell, most of us have not a clue as to what that bill really means anyway. It is the way in which it was done.

Sure it must have felt good at the time. And I am sure that it still feels pretty good to many Democrats who voted for this bill and are having their post-coital smoke while relishing the memory.

Just like Tiger did. Over and over.

Until he got caught.

And I am afraid that is exactly what is going to happen here. Many of us will feel cheated on. Lied to. Forced to accept a circumstance that we were never really sure of and not quite sure we needed or wanted. But too late, it is now our new reality. Too bad.
Deal with it.

And, like a woman scorned, there could be hell to pay.

So, Nancy and Barack, enjoy your warm, loving afterglow. It may come to an abrupt halt. I, for one, really hope not. I hope that this turns out to be good for America.

But, only time will tell.

So, enjoy the love songs for now. They could soon turn into this come November:

"Remember when you held me tight
And you kissed me all through the night
Think of all that we've been through
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."

March Madness

Do you remember the scene in Mary Poppins when she and Bert and the children jumped into the chalk drawing and entered a make believe picturesque world?

That is exactly how I am feeling this March. Like I have entered a world that is surreal somehow. But it is not as pleasant as the world Bert drew up. Not by a long shot.

I am actually tired of hearing about Healthcare Reform, or whatever you want to call it. It is surely not reform by any stretch. It has become bigger than itself and is looming over our heads like some big March storm that threatens to flood us and cause widespread damage.

But Nancy Pelosi and her crew make it sound like if we can just get through the madness of March, then April will surely bring pleasant sunny days and blooming flowers and such. That we should just trust them. That they are doing the right thing.

Even though it is sneaky and beyond comprehension.

This healthcare bill is an enigma. No one really knows what it is all about. But we are promised things like, "Once we pass it, you will like it". Sound familiar? Perhaps they should get James Earl Jones to do a voice over for this slogan, just like he did in Field of Dreams, when he said, "If you build it, they will come."

So, anyway, looks like we have no choice in the matter what-so-ever. So we might as well relax. Go for a walk. Watch the spring flowers starting to burst from their winter lair. Think about smaller issues like, why is Sandra Bullock married to Jesse James? Is she nuts?

Anyway, I cannot wait for March madness to be over. I will relax and re-charge all spring and summer and look forward to a brilliant, crisp fall when the piper comes to call and Washington will pay for their inability, once again, to listen to the very folks who placed them in office in the first place.

And speaking of Mary Poppins, this banter with her employer, Mr. Banks, reminds me a lot of what a conversation between the American people and Nancy Pelosi might sound like:

Us: Just a moment, Nancy Pelosi. What is the meaning of this outrage?
Nancy: I beg your pardon?
Us: Will you be good enough to explain all this?
Nancy: First of all, I would like to make one thing quite clear.
Us: Yes?
Nancy: I never explain anything.

What ever became of Democracy?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.


Remember doing this every day? Did we even have a clue as to what we were really saying? What it really meant?

Does it have any meaning anymore? I wonder.

This week, all I hear about is news about the healthcare reform bill. How Nancy Pelosi wants to vote it in without any real votes. That she has publicly stated that no one in the House wants to vote for it. This really has me puzzled.

Which brings me back to the Pledge.

Especially the part that says, "to the Republic."

The Republic.

Does everyone remember what that means? Perhaps not in Washington.

A Republic is where we choose our leaders to represent us. It is also defined as a government without a Monarch. I am starting to feel as though we are not a Republic anymore. I am not sure what we are, but this is not about the people anymore. This is not representative democracy. I am not even sure it is about doing the right thing. And if Nancy Pelosi starts sporting a tiara, I know we are in real trouble.

And that is scary.

I know President Obama is all over the place selling this healthcare bill like some old fashioned snake oil salesman. Why should he have to do that? If the plan is so great and so good for everyone in America, then why didn't the Democrats, who have had a majority for a very long time, pass this bill already? The Republicans could not stop them and really still cannot stop them. So, why all the special deals? Why all the fuss? Why all the nonsense?

So, the only thing to assume is that the Democrats are afraid of this bill. Afraid that we will vote them out if it is passed. Afraid of our wrath. It must be really bad for them to worry about that. I mean, many of them voted for a very unpopular war, and I still see a lot of the same familiar faces around. That didn't seem to generate as much fear as this bill.

I think that a lot of people agree that we need true healthcare reform in this country and that we need a public option. But looks like we are getting neither and this bill could really put us at greater risk for more financial upheaval.

So, what will the Republic, the one that we have sworn our allegiance to all of our lives, do now? Will they pass a bill by slight of hand because Nancy Pelosi says to? Or will they listen to the people to whom they represent?

When I was a child I really thought the Pledge was just a bunch of empty words that we were forced to say each day.

Now that I am a grown up and know better, I guess, sadly, that I still have to believe that.

Why the Oscars remind me of Washington.

The Oscars. It is always a very long show and I always stay up way past my bedtime. I am usually not too impressed and mostly tired the next day. It is so not worth it. But for some reason, I watch year after year after year.

The "Academy", the organization to whom everyone always thanks during their 'thank you' speech, is really only a group of about 6,000 people who are part of the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The largest block of voters are actors and actresses. The rest are in the industry, but are producers, lawyers, art directors, cinematographers, film editors, makeup artists and the like.

So, it is really an insider group that votes for themselves and their contemporaries. Much of it is quite political in nature as they pander to each other for votes.

And this brings me to Washington.

Washington should just admit that they do the same exact thing. Oh, sure, we elect them from the outside. But, we oftentimes elect a facade really. An actor. Or actress. One who pretends to have our interests in mind.

They may have had good intentions, but once they enter the inner sanctum of the Congress, all bets are off. This small group, about 535 people, mostly men, then become quite a tight-knit bunch. They do what is best for themselves, their friends and any special interest group that brings them money or power or votes.

Or all three.

They pander to each other for votes. They lie. They lie about each other. They lie to each other. They pose for the TV cameras. They write books. They appear on Leno and The Daily Show. They dance on 'Dancing With the Stars'. The only thing missing from this particular group is their own award show.

Wouldn't it be fun to have an award show for Washington? Hmmmm. Not sure what they could call it. I can see them now, all dressed up with their botoxed faces and bleached teeth. They could parade down the Capitol steps dressed in all of their finery. Perhaps be interviewed by Joan Rivers. Could be simulcast on E-Network and C-Span.

They could have awards such as 'Best Campaign Lies', 'Worse Use of Tax-Payers Money', 'Most Pork in Bills Sponsored', and 'Least Likely to Do the Right Thing'. There may even be an award for good things done as well, but those would be rare.

Richard Shelby would win for 'Most Ridiculous Political Move' (remember the "blanket hold").

And there could be a special award for politicians who have already left the building--like John Edwards. 'Biggest Putz'. (The Biggest Loser is already taken)

Oh, I think it is a marvelous idea and much more interesting than the State of the Union Speech.

Yawn. A boring performance at best.

Yes, Washington is very much like Hollywood. Plastic and phony, yet, mildly entertaining. And filled with tabloid fodder.

And just like the Oscars that I watch year after year, I will also keep watching and paying attention to politics and voting for the guys (or gals) I hope will make a difference.

I am still hopeful that one day it will finally be worth it.

The Edge of Change.

So, here we are, teetering on the edge of big change. I mean, really big change. The change we asked for. The only problem is, we are not really sure what that change means. We are not clear on the details and we do not have a clue about the outcomes.

We hear a lot about change. Politicians run on change. We desire change, or so we say. But do we really?

Have we ever really identified exactly what we mean by change? I don't think we have. And now, we are afraid of it. Go figure.

Some promised changes make big headlines. Like the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. You know, the one that Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama wants to shut down. The one that promises to protect us as consumers. This is real change that we want and that we probably will not get, because no one wants to be the one to upset the banks.

Just ask Senator Richard Shelby.

This is change that may still happen, as far as a bill is concerned. It just will not be a bill with any teeth. So, we may see some change, but most of that will come from banks now finding ways to work around the weakened law and charge us even more fees. And, of course, they will still be giving big money to the political candidates who helped them achieve this goal.

So, no real change there, although at election time I am sure that this bill will be pointed to as part of a successful change agenda.

And now onto healthcare. Looks like President Obama wants healthcare reform to pass, even though most Americans polled do not think this is the right time.

And you all know how we felt about it in Massachusetts after the election of Scott Brown, who ran on a campaign platform that said that he would essentially, 'kill the bill'. And this from a blue state. The bluest of blue.

It is not that we want people to be without healthcare insurance; it is that we want the right type of reform, which begins and ends with the insurance industry being taken to task. And that is just not going to happen. Plus, we see big dollar signs here with no real understanding of how it will effect us as individuals, especially those of us already covered and happy with our coverage. So this is change we did not ask for, have actually spoken out against, but seems to be coming anyway.

So, what did we want when we actually said we wanted change?

I guess I would start with President Bush. We certainly grew tired of him, Dick Cheney and the war.

Ah, the war. We anticipated some real change there, didn't we? And we do not have change at all. On the contrary. Seems like we are moving forward as planned by the previous administration. No change at all. Not a smidge.

And how about Global Warming? Or is it now Climate Change? Seems nothing is happening at all on that end. Seems the scientists have to start over by proving that their data has not been falsified. Meanwhile, there is real evidence of change. All one has to do is look out the window and see an earlier spring and changes in weather patterns not seen in centuries. And I am sure that you cannot fake the melting and collapse of glaciers.

So, I guess we will leave it to our children to figure that one out. It is mired in controversy and doubt and that is basically a way of saying that Washington doesn't want any real change. They will simply argue about it. That way, they look as though they are doing something, even though they are not. Typical Washington behavior. And, again, no change.

So what has changed? I would venture to say, not much. Not much at all.

And so, because there has been no change that we can identify clearly, we are ripe for change again.

I just don't get it. No one listens to the people they represent. They don't listen, so we vote them out. Or, they pretend to listen at election time, and because we embrace change and fear it at the same time, we vote in the devil we know. Safer than the devil we don't know. But they again disappoint, and again we cry for change. Seems this cycle cannot be broken.

So what are we left to do? Seems not to matter. Seems the more I read and the more involved I get in the process, the more I see that I am not part of the process at all. That the change that Washington wants, or my Commonwealth wants or even my own local school board wants, will happen anyway. It will roll right over me.

And there I lie. Powerless. Disappointed. Angry and betrayed. My only ammunition? My vote. And even that is not enough.

So, what do we do? Cover our eyes and hope for the best? Pray that our elected officials make good decisions based on facts and real understanding, instead of pandering to the strong undercurrents of greed and power?

I am not sure.

I do not have any good answers. I feel overwhelmed at times with all the political games being played.

And for all the promises of hope and change, I still see homeless people on the street, kids without strong schools to educate them, elders who cannot afford the high price of their medication, pedophiles released from prison to harm again, the rich getting richer, bailed out banks doling out big bonuses while the unemployed grow in number. I see towns forced to cut back on teachers, firemen and police. I see unsafe bridges on our highways. I see food pantries beg for more supplies, fund-raisers for town libraries to keep them afloat, and more and more of us growing fatter and sicker each year. It all amazes me. This is not change at all. It feels like the more big government grows and changes, the less and less we have in our own towns and neighborhoods.

So, where is the change? The good change? I do not really see it. At least not change that betters us in any way and is truly meaningful. The change I see is maddening and unpredictable, and yet, we still clamor for it in an almost obscene way. And I don't see that changing any time soon, either.

Nothing endures but change.
Heraclitus (540 BC - 480 BC)

On Killer Whales and Politicians.

Poor Shamu.

Okay, it wasn't his real name, but everyone knows Shamu as the defacto killer whale on display at Sea World in Florida.

And he has finally lived up to his name. Killer. Some are even calling him a murderer. But is he really?

We take these poor animals out of their environment, place them in a pool, teach them some parlor tricks and put them on display for the sole purpose of making money. Then we act outraged when they start to act on their normal instincts. Seems silly to me.

I do feel sorry that the trainer died. But this was not the first time that this particular whale has shown that he can kill, nor will it be the last, unless he is forever kept away from humans. But in fairness to him, he was only being himself. Man got in the way and paid the price.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

And so that brings me to politicians. They are placed on display as well, mainly during election season. They pander, they preen. They promise all sorts of lovely things. We treat some like rock stars, showing up in hoards at big rallies. Asking for autographs and photos. We are taken in by the show. And many times that is all it really is, a show.

Once elected though, when the spotlight fades, often they return to who they really are. Their natural instincts take over. Suddenly they sense a new aura surrounding them. Power. It is enticing and heady. And sometimes that power starts to make them feel invincible, and they make big mistakes.

Usually, these mistakes are sexual in nature. Sometimes they have to do with money, but those do not make the headlines nearly as often as the sex thing.

So how are the killer whales and the politicians connected? We expect a lot from both. We expect a killer whale to be on display in a pool and entertain us all with cute little games he plays with his trainer. We ignore the fact that this 12,000 pound animal has natural instincts that could kill someone. We just expect him to play by our rules, and when he doesn't, we are outraged.

Same holds true true for politicians. We don't really like to hear about our President having sex with a intern, or a potential Presidential hopeful impregnating a woman while his wife is receiving chemotherapy. No, we hate that. We expect more. But are we expecting too much?

People are still people. Just like whales are still whales, no matter how much you train them and pretend that they are pets. We feel our politicians are somehow better than the average person, then us. But the fact is, they are not. They are just people, too. Many times they are very narcissistic in nature to begin with, and that is probably what propelled them into politics in the first place. So we should not be so surprised when their true natural instincts come out. We probably knew about their shortcomings all along, but chose to ignore them.

So, we should cut Shamu a break. But should we give that same break to, say, John Edwards or Mark Sanford? Perhaps not. One would think that even though a killer whale cannot control their natural impulses, that these men could. That they could look beyond themselves and do what is right for the greater good; namely their family and their position in Government.

That would be the hope. But just like that poor trainer learned, you can never really trust a wild animal to always do what, in our minds, is right. And in that regard, I guess we should never really trust that politicians will always do the right thing either. But does that mean that they cannot still do their job, just because they cannot control themselves in a personal nature?

Such is the dilemma. Much like Sea World is continuing its whale shows and pondering the fate of the killer, we sometimes allow personal misgivings of our politicians to be forgiven, too. Look at Bill Clinton; what he did was most distasteful, but he is still admired for his political knowledge and experience.

John Edwards is a putz and should never be allowed back in politics again. What he did was disgraceful. But some politicians just make mistakes that have no impact on their work lives, so shouldn't we just let them keep working? Or at the very least, give them a second chance? I truly do not know the answer to that question.

I will never know if Shamu will kill again, but I do know he can probably entertain again. I will also never know the inner secrets and misgivings of our elected officials, but can I trust that they can do the right thing going forward as a representative of the people? That they can make good policy decisions that help us all, even though they make bad decisions in their own personal life? That is truly the core issue that we have to ask ourselves.

So, whether it is a 12,000 pound wild animal locked in captivity, or a polished, charismatic politician, I guess we will have to be cautious then and weigh the risks. That is really all we can do.

And to remember that intinct many times trumps reason; in wild animals and in man. And not to be too dissappointed when their true nature finally reveals itself.

Nancy Pelosi Scares Me.

She does. I don't know why, or when it began. But I actually feel fear when I see her on TV.

Maybe she reminds me of someone. An angry teacher or something. Not sure. I am not really sure why I find her scary.

The first thing I read about Nancy was that she is one of the richest members of Congress. Worth about 12 million, plus real estate holdings valued at several million as well. Impressive. But not scary. Maybe makes her a bit out of touch with us ordinary folk. But definatley nothing to fear there.

She hails from a political family, her father having been a U.S. Congressman from Maryland. She is from a large family and has a large family. Nothing very scary there either.

So, what is it about her?

Then it dawned on me.

She she is mean. She reminds me of every nasty 7th grade girl I ever encountered. She is mean and a bully. And always wants her way and is angry when someone dares to have an opposite opinion.

This is not what I want to see in our elected officials. Nancy Pelosi has also never, ever admitted to any mistakes. Yet she voted for the war in Iraq, stating that Saddam did indeed have weapons of mass destruction. "Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."

But when it was proven wrong, did she take any blame or perhaps mention that she made a mistake voting for the war? No. She instead said, "The president led us into the Iraq war on the basis of unproven assertions without evidence; he embraced a radical doctrine of pre-emptive war unprecedented in our history."

After she was briefed on "interrogation techniques, she then denied she knew that they were water-boarding detainees. She seems to have a faulty memory as well.

And on healthcare reform, she is the scariest of all. “We have to get it done,” the speaker said. “What the process is does’t matter.

The process doesn't matter? What does that mean?

I am sorry. She is not the right person for this position. She is not open minded and she is not approachable. It is her way or the highway.

And that is scary stuff.

Reaching the Summit of Healthcare Reform.

Oh, the healthcare summit. I will admit, I did not watch it. I am sure that the most interesting points will be regurgitated on every news channel, plus Comedy Central and maybe even Inside Edition for many nights to come, so I feel like I did not have to stay home for 6 hrs and 20 minutes and watch C-Span. Plus, it was much more fun to play tennis today. But I digress.

Already the spin machine is at work. Journalists and "experts" are lining up to join Larry King Live and a host of other gab-fest shows to talk about their take on the matter. I am most especially looking forward to Jon Stewart's lampoon of it, as that is always informative, but, at the same time, entertaining. Not so true of many of the other talking heads.

Anyway, I have already read a lot about it. Seems like it was a waste of time. They should have done this months and months ago when it may have served some purpose. The main goal here, it would appear, is that the Democrats are trying to show that they are reaching across the aisle and that the Republicans are obstructionists. What the Dems don't realize is that we don't want this petty nonsense. Just do something basic to help us get by, like not allowing the insurance companies to gouge us, deny us care and to allow for some type of safety net, such as a public option, like an early Medicare buy-in. But that was not really discussed.

It does not appear to me that they could ever have a decent meeting. Too many egos. I know that a summit is a fancy name for a meeting, but I looked at it differently. I looked at it like a group trying to reach the summit of a tall mountain, like Everest, but they were failing miserably.

To reach the summit, the first thing you need is a good plan. And a good team. You need to identify a clear leader with the skills necessary to lead the team. You also need a great guide who knows the terrain, the hazards, the pitfalls.

Another important thing, actually the most important thing for survival, is the ability to recognize the dangers and know when to turn back. And you must look out for your other team members. You need each other to survive.

And this is why they will never have any real success at reaching the summit in Washington. First off, there is no clear leader. Secondly, there is no clear plan. And thirdly, and most importantly, there is no team. Every one is scrambling to get to the top first. Egos are too big, agendas are not spelled out and everyone is simply looking out for themselves, not the people that they serve.

So, here they are, still stuck at base camp, arguing about the best way to reach the top. The funny thing is, they really don't need to reach the top at all. And that is the point they are all missing.

And they are not noticing the most fatal, underestimated danger of all; the avalanch. People generally think that they will be able to recognize the hazards and survive being caught. The truth is a somewhat different story.

Turning back takes a lot of extra time and effort, supreme leadership, and most importantly, there is rarely an avalanche that proves the right decision was made. Making the decision to turn around is especially hard if others are crossing the slope, but any next person could become the trigger.

So, Democrats, Republicans and even President Obama; heed the warning. You are crossing very dangerous snow conditions. And it could bury you at anytime.

I hear the weather may be particularly fierce in November this year.

Waiting, waiting. Seems we are always waiting.

I am tired of waiting. Aren't you? We elect these new faces, and sometimes old faces, every two or four years expecting change. And all we seem to get is more of the same.

I am getting antsy. Restless. Angry. It all seems to be a joke at times. And the joke is on us.

I mean, lets start with healthcare. We have known that it stinks for a very long time. We know that managed care is really only about managed profits. In this great country of ours, with world-renowned hospitals, many do not have access. Or if they do, they have to pay out of pocket and many are forced to have fund-raisers to raise enough money to have special surgery or a bone marrow transplant for their child. If I see one more collection can at a store, I think I will go mad. It is truly maddening.

So, what is next? Oh, yes, the much anticipated televised debate about healthcare. This is bogus. It is all about the Republicans and the Democrats trying to show off their stuff. What have we become? This is like American Idol, except we cannot phone in our vote. I wish it were more like the Gong Show (remember that?) as I would love to hit a big gong with a huge mallet and say, "See ya".

I just don't get it. With millions uninsured, plus millions more who are paying ridiculously priced premiums and having many claims denied, how much longer can we possibly wait for some modicum of common sense to appear? Has profit really gotten in the way of what is right? And why is healthcare for profit anyway? Has anyone ever really answered that question? Do we as Americans really want this anymore? Do we have a choice? It seems that these questions often remain unanswered.

So, what can we do but wait. Wait and see. In the meantime, premiums are going up, hospitals are decreasing staff, nurse to patient ratios are climbing, co-pays are increasing and medical mistakes are on the rise. I see insurance benefits changing suddenly and without proper notification, hospital stays shortened and more patients in ERs because MDs direct you there.

I know what President Obama's answer would be; "We tried to have a healthcare bill, but the Republicans killed it". Well, no offense, but your healthcare bill stunk. Not very impressive for a whole year's worth of work.

Make some simple changes now that can help. Small, simple changes that have a huge impact.

First, allow Medicare to be purchased at a reduced rate early. No pre-existing conditions. Allow all children to be covered by Medicaid if they have no insurance.

Increase reimbursement to Primary Care MDs. We have less of them so more people are directed to to the extremely expensive ER for care. Start having reimbursement for patients to see a free-standing Nurse Practitioner in lieu of an MD. Currently, they can only be reimbursed if they are affiliated with a physician group. Imagine if we could have offices with just nurses who could triage you and send you to the MD only if needed. You trust our care when you are really sick and in the hospital, why not before then? This is a low cost solution that would be of great, I mean really great, benefit to all. Except of course, the profiteers, which is why it is not a consideration.

Our government has two really good healthcare programs already. And they both cover the sickest populations fairly effectively. Many of the uninsured are people who are young and seemingly healthy, who think they will never get sick. Allow them to buy into some type of catastrophic healthcare plan so they won't be forced to go broke if they do indeed get ill.

But, anyway, I could go on and on and what for? No one really listens anyway.

I think the best we can do is take really, really good care of ourselves and hope that we can stave off any illness. That would start with finally exercising more, getting some good sleep, taking a vitamin daily, drinking more water, eating food that our Grandmother would recognize, and trying to decrease our stress.

The best hands to place ourselves in are our own. It will make us healthier and give us something to do while we wait.

The Republicans Think They Can Save Healthcare? Think Again.

So, after being news-starved for several days while in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the first thing I read this morning was the New York Times. Not much new in the news though. But then I checked the editorials, and lo and behold, there it was; five republicans all set to save healthcare.

I read with interest. Surely, there must be something new that they are offering. But, as I read, it occurred to me. There wasn't. They are missing it, too. For all the talk about healthcare, and even a surgeon/Senator, nothing.

Oh, I know President Obama is now going to have a televised debate about healthcare. I know he is trying to be open minded to the Republicans --or he would have it appear as though he is, at the very least.(I think he is merely trying to show the voters that they are obstructionists, but I digress) He is clearly missing the boat.

He should have a televised program with real nurses, patients,doctors and perhaps some insurance people to to hash it out. We know the deal. We know what does and does not work. Ask us.

I know that the NY Times, nor Washington, nor you, will ever ask for my opinion. But here it is anyway:


I have been a registered nurse for 30 years now. I have watched health insurance change from indemnity plans to managed care. I have watched Medicare change when DRG's were introduced. I have also seen lives saved that would have never been saved before, babies born before their time who survive and elders who keep going despite chronic illness.

I have witnessed the rising costs to individuals, businesses who choose to cover their employees and to the hospitals and providers of medical services.I have seen reduced benefits to patients with "good insurance", denied claims, patients who cannot afford their co-pays or deductibles so they use the ER when sick.

I have seen the elderly cut their pills in half because they cannot afford to pay each month for a refill and I have seen people lose health insurance after being laid off who cannot afford the bloated sky-high premiums and so remain un-insured. There are worse stories. I could go on and on. However, I think it is clear that we need real reform to our current healthcare system.

The current healthcare reform bill is too long, too complicated, has too many twists and turns and lacks a public option. We don't really know what we are getting. And the backroom deals sealed it's fate.

Real health reform involves regulating what the insurance companies can and cannot do. No adverse selection. No cancelling policies because you need services. No changes in benefits without notification to you. How about adding more competition? If I can find cheaper insurance in Rhode Island and they cover the major hospitals in Boston, why shouldn't I be able to buy that?

How about returning to a public option or at least an early buy-in to Medicare? And it should be a mandate that all children are covered. At a low cost. Period.

This is not rocket science. We should not be going bankrupt or having our children die because of profit. And that is what it boils down to; profit for the healthcare insurance industry. Our Senators know it, our Congressmen know it and President Obama knows it.

It is all just another day of bickering on Capitol Hill for them. They have the luxury of never having to worry about healthcare at all. The solution to this seems so easy. But politics being what they are, it has become too complex and too cumbersome because the Washington games get in the way of any meaningful work.

If a Senator has to be bribed to do what is right for this country, then he or she should not be representing the people. They should be resigning in shame. I want everyone to be able to access the wonderful healthcare system that I have been witness to for the last 30 years. Everyone deserves that right.

And it is a right. Just as it is a right to be educated and to have roads to drive on and to speak out freely. It is what we all need and deserve.

So I beg our lawmakers to do what is right, push aside your pride and work together to accomplish this task. There are thousands of lives at risk right now. And right now, that blood is on your hands. I place it firmly in your hands.

It is time we held you accountable.

Time Out from Blogging for School Break in February.

Washington is broken, things are a mess. Time for a vacation!

A Dear John Letter to Dear John Kerry.

Dear John:
I watched you and your wife Teresa on Larry King last evening. Your stiff performance almost made me fall asleep, but I was curious to hear what you might have to say, so I forced myself awake.

I feel bad about your prostate cancer and your wife's battle with her breast cancer, but I was truly amazed by the top drawer treatment you kept bragging about. You talked so much about all of the choices you had; Teresa talked about how her MD did a mammogram and an ultrasound and a biopsy right away, the same day! That is clearly VIP treatment and you should be ashamed of yourself for sitting there in front of all of America talking about it. Most Americans cannot even get an MD to call back with a simple report. Many cannot even get a mammogram because they lack basic insurance. They have no "choices". But instead of taking this opportunity to talk about the need for real healthcare reform for real people, you instead talked about the energy bill.

Hello, anyone home?

Or maybe I have the wrong home, because you own so many.

You are so far out of the common man's plight, so high above it, that you must get nose bleeds and vertigo from looking down upon the masses. I mean really.

I also enjoyed the dig you made about Sarah Palin being "entertainment". That must have sat well with her followers. It didn't sit well with me and I am hardly a follower of hers. Also interesting that you did not condemn your running mate, John Edwards. You called his plight, "tragic".

Tragic? The man is a pig.

Anyway, I must tell you that you must go. We are done with all of you guys that say they work "for the people". Well, you don't represent the people anymore and I am not quite certain you ever really did.

Time to go and let a real person into the job. One who gets it. Gets us.

It is not like you need the job anymore and you have real medical issues to attend to and wind surfing and what not.

So, I would like to say that it has been nice, but it really hasn't been. You had your chance, now give it up to the next generation. I am, quite frankly, tired of rich, older men screwing up this country.

I know, breaking up is hard to do.

But it's not you, it's me. Honest.

P.S. And leave behind the Kennedy desk. It belongs to the people, not you.

No school, No snow, No news, No Viagra?

Here is a list of the trending hot topics right now on the Boston Globe website, Boston.com:

Hot Topics: School vacation; Brady baby; Spring training; Valentine's Day; Winter arts guide.

I kid you not.

It would be snow, except we really don't have much here in Boston, unlike the dire predictions and the school closings would have had you believe.

But now that the Super Bowl is over and the Scott Brown win is in the can, there is nothing that is sparking anyone's interest. Or outrage.

At a super bowl party this weekend, conversation also fell flat. No more big debates about candidates, no crisis because Haiti was so last month, no celebrity fall-outs. No, nothing really. Even "palm-gate" was a bore because no one really cares that much about what Sarah Palin wrote on her hand. Seems the troops only get fired up when there are sides to take.

So then I went to the New York Times to see what they were talking about. They were talking about snow, snow and more snow. So I looked to see what people were reading and this is one of the most read articles today:

A Viagra Alternative to Serve by Candlelight

I am not making this up. It is a report about how certain foods act like an aphrodisiac.

Here is a quote from that article:
In one small experiment on sexual response to food scents, vaginal and penile blood flow was measured in 31 men and women who wore masks emitting various food aromas. This was the study that found men susceptible to the scent of doughnuts mingled with licorice. For women, first place for most arousing was a tie between baby powder and the combination of Good & Plenty candy with cucumber

What?

Geesh...could you imagine being the researchers on that study...or the subjects? I wonder how much federal grant money they received.

So, it is a slow news day. That is for sure. I plan to not turn on the local news tonight either because I really do not care to see reporters out on every highway to report that we really didn't get much snow, and that traffic seems to be moving well because everyone left work at noon. I can also do without hearing that Scott Brown is writing a book or that Tom Brady's kid is cute (wait, doesn't he already have another cute kid as well?)

So, I guess I will just curl up next to the fire with a good book and take a nap until either the next election or the next Brangelina expose.

Or I wonder if an increase in doughnut sales will be the next big story. Perhaps there will be doughnut wars. Which doughnut causes the biggest (no pun intended) reaction? It could spark a media blitz! Perhaps they will cover this on the Today Show....Matt Lauer can test Dunkin' Donuts against Krispy Kreme.

Wow, another exciting news day.

Robert L. Gibbs is Not the Boy Wonder He Thinks He is.

I don't like Robert Gibbs much. First off, he looks too old to be only 39. Secondly, he tries to be funny when he is not. And thirdly, he is from Alabama, home to my other non-favorite Washington guy, Senator Richard Shelby.

Now, after my last post about how we should all start trying to be nicer to one another, I guess I should be as well. So I will simply point out some facts.

First thing today, he makes fun of Sarah Palin writing on her hand by writing on his. A grocery list for his son's pancakes, then the words hope and change. (Look for the video on You Tube as I could not embed it for some reason.) I am not sticking up for Sarah Palin, I just think that the White House spokesperson should show more polish and class.

And who is this Bobby guy, the high school marching band, saxophone playing, debate team nerd, trying to be anyway? Is he trying to be funny, like Stephen Colbert? Is he trying to be tough like Rahm Emanuel? It is hard to tell some days. His personality changes a lot. But he should not be making fun of others. And this is why.

Here is a quote from Gibbs after the controversy over the Obama school address came out, "You had to be like, 'Wait a minute" Then he called the moms with concerns about this, "silly". Not exactly Mensa material here. More valley girl.

He likes to use the word "silly" a lot. He said about climate change, "I think scientists are clear on the science. I think many on Capitol Hill are clear on the science. I think that this notion that there is some debate ... on the science is kind of silly." What?

On a flagpole issue,(I don't even know why he would talk about this anyway) "He went on to say that "it's silly to ... think that somebody that's done that can't have a flagpole...."

I could go on and on, but my point is this, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. He is a smug guy with a cocky attitude that thinks he is so smart, but really he is not. President Obama is treading water right now and the last thing he needs is for the face of the White House to go all Animal House on us. I mean really. First Rahm Emanuel's blow up and now this? Sounds like fraternity boy antics, not serious White House dealings.

So, Robert, please. Grow up. The SNL skits are starting to look like a White House documentary.

So get serious.

Anger (Mis) Management

"The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough.” Bede Jarrett

Everywhere I go lately, people are angry. When I turn on any reality based TV, like the news or talk show, which is supposed to be reality but often times isn't, I see anger.

When I read a blog or newspaper on-line, and they have a comment section, people either post something nasty or they attack one another. No interesting counter-points or thoughts, just vitriol and hate.

It is getting rather depressing.

My husband even accused me of being "preachy" on my blog. Said I could make people "angry".

Preachy?

"Well", I said in defense, "It is my blog. And no one really reads it anyway. So, who cares." (okay, I was a little angry)

And then I started thinking about what he said. He said I could "make them angry."

But is that true? Can we really "make" someone angry? Is all this anger out there really caused by a person? Or a thing? Or is it just some unmet expectation deep inside each of us. And is it also a lack of true compassion or understanding for one another.

There is a book that I love, written by a wonderful writer who understood pain. The book is Hearts That We Broke Long Ago written by Merle Shain.

She writes, "Compassion cannot exist with anger or jealousy, with envy or revenge, so those who have those feelings starve themselves. In the hands of the insecure, compassion becomes condescension, competitiveness, pity and a taste for pain. Real compassion comes from strength."

What she says is so right on. We have lost all ability to be compassionate with one another. We are so busy with our own busyness that we forget we are all on this journey together. We are so focused on trying to one-up each other or prove that someone else is wrong that we never just sit back and take a moment to understand one another. We never look for ways to work together to solve our differences. We just yell and scream and say the wrong things (think Rahm Emanuel).

They say that there is a 'revolution' underfoot. A new movement. But I don't think that it is such a new movement as much as it is a return to some sense of normalcy. Some common courtesy. When the Tea Party folks talk about returning to a "God fearing nation" it seems to me that they are looking to return to some common decency. Where polite conversation is considered the norm, not all of this hate and vitriol.

So, anyway, I guess we could all try to be a little nicer to one other. That could help. I don't think that we have the power to make each other angry; I think that we are all just trying to be heard and we are growing louder with our own discontent.

All I know for sure is that we are all so divided. And in that division we really don't even have any common ground among our splintered selves. We are more isolated than ever. Needier. More fearful.

Maybe a better question to ask is not why we are angry, but is the anger really working. And if it is, which is doubtful, where exactly is it leading us to? And why? And is it a place where we really, really want to be.

Let's Face It, We Are a Crib Note Society.

I cannot believe I am publicly admitting that I watched the Sarah Palin speech on Saturday night, but I am. I will say it was by accident, as I was in bed early due to a cold and turned on CNN and there she was. Big hair and all. But like a gawking on-looker at a motor vehicle accident, I just couldn't look away.

I checked other channels. She was on C-SPAN, Fox and even MSNBC. MSNBC?

And then I found myself still watching. Unbelievable. I was interested just to see what she would say next. I am sure that is why she was being covered so heavily as well. Everyone wanted to catch her doing something dumb. She sounds so dumb to me. It is not really what she says, but how she says it. But then she actually said a few things I found myself agreeing with.

What? Agreeing with Sarah Palin?

Her line, "We need a commander in chief, not a professor of law standing at the lecturn," well, that resonated even with me. And I like Obama.

I still don't think she could be President. But I do believe that she could teach the President some lessons.

First, we are a restless nation. When Sarah Palin looked at her hand to find her crib notes, people resonated with that. How many of us have a to-do list always handy? How many of us love crossing things off of that to-do list? How many of us wish that President Obama had a simple to-do list that he could follow? He seems always to be going in too many directions.

Here is what many would like to see on that list, even if he writes it on his hand:

1. Get Americans back to work.
2. Prevent terrorists from getting on our planes.
3. Stop the banks from hurting us anymore.
4. Stop the big insurance companies from playing by their own rules.

I would love to see some of those to-do's crossed off. But I know it is not that simple.

Our society loves a good sound-bite. We actually make many major decisions by just hearing sound bites. As soon as Scott Brown uttered the words. "With all due respect, sir, it's the People's Seat", it was all over. Many made their decision right there and then.

Think about recent past elections. What do you remember? Do you remember any of the policy discussions? No. You remember things like; "It's the economy, stupid.", "Read my lips, no new taxes", and the John Kerry bomb, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." What?

So Sarah Palin is not so dumb after all. And the Liberals and the media elite better watch it. As they are pummeling Palin calling her stupid and not presidential material because she wrote on her hand, they are dissing everyone that has ever done that. And they are playing right into that small hand of hers. They are proving that Sarah Palin is the antithesis of the elite, a regular gal. And that is their undoing. Why don't they get that?

Anyway, Sarah Palin had three things written on her hand:

Energy.
Lift Americans spirits.
Tax cuts.

Not a bad message, really. Maybe not the classiest thing to do on national TV, but maybe not the worst. It is certainly giving her a lot of buzz.

Anyway, my advice to any candidate thinking of running for anything, get your talking points written now. And say them over and over. Make sure they are not silly. Make sure they resonate with everyone. And make them short and to the point.

We are a restless bunch. We like our messages clear and simple. We will not stay tuned in for a policy discussion. We don't have the time nor the inclination. We want to know what you will do, when you will do it and how we will know when it is done.

Short, sweet and to the point.

Even if it is on your hand.

Chomping at the Bit....A Preview of the Massachusetts Governor's Race from a Mom's Perspective.

I was looking at a beautiful horse yesterday as I waited for my daughter to finish her horseback riding lesson. He was literally chomping at the bit. And then that saying stuck in my head. And it suddenly reminded me of the Governor's race.

We have all heard that saying, "chomping at the bit". But what does it actually mean? According to an on-line search, it means to be very keen to start an activity or to go somewhere. Just like our new Governor-to-be-determined candidates. So, it wasn't the horse's arse that reminded me of politicians, it was actually the head. And that is a good start.

Kind of.

Now, Charlie Baker, Harvard-Pilgrim's turnaround guy, is actually already out of the gate. And he has already made his first big mistake, as reported today in the Boston Globe. He claims some mysterious $5 billion dollar surplus, then corrects himself by saying, and I quote;

“I tried to come up with a term that a Joe Q. Citizen could recognize,’’ he said. “I may have called it a surplus yesterday. I didn’t call it a surplus today.’’

And that was his first big mistake. First of all, it sounds awfully pompous to call us "Joe Q. Citizen". I hate that. Secondly, he is backtracking, and that means he floated something out there that was not the truth. So, his second big mistake already, he lied. And we John Q. Citizen folk, we hate liars.

There are only 3 major candidates that I can really see as contenders. Our current Governor, Democrat Deval Patrick; Republican Charlie Baker, and Independent Tom Cahill. I do not personally know any of them. So I have to rely on what I actually see. And I am closely following all of them because I am, right now, undecided.

So far, I have not seen Tim Cahill at all. He is out there, though. I see his Facebook page and I get a few emails from his campaign. But that is about all. I have read from his tweets that he is running an ad tomorrow during the Super Bowl. Not sure if his opponents are as well, but I know he is. So here is what I think of that.

Not a good move.

Why? No one will notice. You may think they will. But it is doubtful much will come of it. Now, if you had stirred up some controversy first, people may have paid more attention. They may have said, "Hey, that's that __________ (fill in the blank) that said ________________(fill in the blank). That is when bad publicity becomes good publicity. People are talking about you. And he has not stirred up any controversy that I am aware of. Not yet, anyway.

Also, I do not think that anyone who is a fiscal conservative, not necessarily a Republican, but simply cautious with money, will like this much. It appears to be reckless spending. And in a deficit weary Massachusetts, we will notice this. If all three candidates do it, then it becomes a "me,too" fest. Again, not well liked.

And we are all still fatigued from the whole Scott Brown/Martha Coakley ad war. We just don't care right now. We just want to eat nachos and watch football and drink beer. And, of course we will be looking for the now famous Super Bowl Budweiser commercials, as they are always a blast. And maybe that talking baby will make an appearance, too.

As for Deval and Baker, they are in the news all of the time lately. And now Charlie is being taken to task by a Democrat's best friend, the Boston Globe. Although it is hard to take the Globe too seriously lately; they are still showing Senator Brown as a model. (Note to Boston Globe: you are only making him look better and yourself foolish. Stop it.)

Anyway, I am sure we are in for some fun this fall. I am asking a variety of people to tell me their thoughts so that I can view and blog about this race from different perspectives, which is always fun. I have a few staunch Republicans, many bleeding heart liberals and people like myself, caught somewhere in the middle, who are looking for a shred of decency and an open-mindedness to do what is right. We know you are all qualified, but who stands out as a true leader? Who is really listening? And who is not swayed too much by special interest groups. Or party lines.

I, personally, am also looking for something else. A good person.

No lying, no mean-spiritedness, no nonsense. The one who can stay honest, stay focused, who stays on message and who can stay out of the mud will probably get my vote. It is not a party thing, it is a people thing.

Buddha once famously said, "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."

Best. Advice. Ever.

Stay tuned.


P.S. I know that some will say that I wrote nothing about our current Governor, Deval Patrick. Well, his actions for the past few years speak louder than any words that I could possibly write.

Why I must continue to rant about Senator Shelby

Senator Shelby's newest threat? A blanket hold. A blanket hold is a new concept to me. I did not know that it existed; quite frankly, I never wanted to have to know why it existed. But because of Senator Shelby, I needed to find out, so here is a quick explanation: (from Erza Klein at the Washington Post)

The first thing to understand is that there's no such procedural move as a "hold." It's not something senators have in their special senatorial utility belts. Instead, a "hold" is shorthand for a promise to obstruct all further consideration of a particular piece of Senate business.

The best explanation of how this works came from David Waldman, and I encourage you to read it in full. But here's the short version: The Senate generally uses unanimous consent agreements to set the rules for a bill or a nomination. A hold, in its simplest form, is a promise to object to unanimous consent.

Okay, then what?

Then, everything is stopped. Everything. Not just the nominations that no one cares about. Everything stops. Yikes.

This makes no sense. Did the Republican party think just because Massachusetts voted in Scott Brown, that that has given them some type of super-human power? That is simply nonsense.

Republicans are in short supply in Massachusetts. The Independent vote swept in Scott Brown, not the Republican vote. So, this election did not mean to give a grand nod to the Republican party. It was also not meant to send all of the Democrats into a cave, cowering in fear, either. As Charlie Brown would say, "Good grief".

All I know is that Richard Shelby is why I hate Washington. And not because he is a Republican. Just because he is a jerk. This is an example of why I think that Congress, both the House and Senate, acts like a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving. You know the drill; the craziest relative is always given what he wants first, to avoid ruining the day for everyone else.

And that is what Senator Shelby is acting like. A crazy person.

It's a $40,045,000,000 ransom demand to the United States government.

It is beyond comprehension to me that we allow this to happen. I am simply stunned.


Also, see Gail Collin's opinion in the NYTimes today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/opinion/06collins.html?emc=eta1

Please check this out...from Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren thinks the economic crisis started with lenders tricking families. Woeful misunderstanding or willing deception?

You will have to copy and paste onto your browser. I could not get the link to work. Sorry. You can highlight it and then press ctrl and c, then to paste press ctrl and v.
http://www.momsrising.org/blog/elizabeth-warrens-letter-to-you-it%E2%80%99s-time-for-moms-to-take-on-wall-street/

How can ONE MAN stop something the country so badly needs, and why is Senator Dodd allowing this?

Okay, I know. I have been furiously writing about Senator Richard Shelby from Alabama, the NO guy on finance reform. Or at least, true financial reform. I am angry that he does not want an independent consumer protection agency overseeing the banks. He instead would like it to be under some other federal agency, not an independent agency. In other words, he wants to pass milk-toast reform. Just so that he can say that he passed financial reform. What he doesn't say is WHY.

I think he is clearly on the bank's side. In a Washington Post article from December, a few things were revealed about this man to make me think that way:

1. Shelby is a legendary fundraiser. He currently has more than $15.3 million in his campaign account and personal political action committee, more of it from the employees and political action committees of the financial industry than from any other source. Shelby has declared his intention to run for reelection next year but says he won't spend all his money, and politicians in Alabama say he doesn't have to. "He'll be a U.S. senator as long as he wants to be," Fine said.

2. "He can raise enough money to sink a battleship!" said Joe L. Reed of the Alabama Education Association, a leading black political operative in Alabama. "Every time he sneezes, he raises some money."
Washington lobbyists recount stories of Shelby's relentless fundraising with grudging admiration. "I think it's the way he keeps score," said one regular recipient of the senator's blunt pleas for money.

3. Shelby keeps score in another way that helps him politically, by bringing home a huge quantity of bacon. Alabama gets about $1.50 back from Washington for every $1 it sends to the U.S. Treasury, much of it in earmarks written and promoted by Richard Shelby.

4. Nor have the Shelbys neglected the accumulation of personal wealth. They are multimillionaires whose two personal homes, one in Georgetown and another in Tuscaloosa, are each valued at more than $1 million. The steelworker's son born across the tracks moved uptown long ago.

5. For months the staffs working for Dodd and Shelby have been sharing proposals, asking questions, discussing the issues of regulatory reform. Then in October, Shelby surprised Dodd by telling him that he could proceed with discussions only if Dodd agreed to drop a proposal for a consumer financial products agency. Dodd had announced months earlier that he considered this -- a sort of consumer product safety commission for financial products, from home mortgages to credit cards -- as a centerpiece of reform. President Obama does, too. The House approved it last week.

6. Shelby trashed Dodd's draft. It was an uncharacteristic performance, harsh and sarcastic. "This committee has not done the necessary work to even begin discussing changes of this magnitude," he said, reading from a prepared text. Shelby slammed one provision after another in the Dodd draft, and announced, "I will be opposing this legislation."


Need I say more. We know that Shelby does not want any teeth in this bill. The question is WHY? Is he simply protecting his number one campaign funding source?

If you look at any banking industry blogs, you will see why. They don't want a real independent person, such as Elizabeth Warren, to watch over them. Period. They don't want it. So Shelby doesn't want it.

And we don't want another lame federal bureaucracy to fail miserably at protecting us.

That is why I don't like Senator Shelby. It is not personal. I am sure he is a fine man. I just don't like this.

And neither should you.

The 23 people that are making a decision that will effect the other 308,623, 617 of us.

These 23 people are making a decision on Finance Reform that will effect the other 308,623,617 people that live in the USA. The people that do not want Finance Reform are the BANKS.

Here are the 23 people:

Christopher J. Dodd Chairman (D-CT)
Richard C. Shelby Ranking Member (R-AL)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Robert F. Bennett (R-UT)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
David Vitter (R-LA)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Mike Johanns (R-NE)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)

Warning to Scott Brown, dangerous water ahead.

The voters of Massachusetts recently elected Senator Scott Brown and he has now been elevated by his supporters to the top of a beautiful, golden pedestal. The "people's pedestal".

Nice for a while, all the attention. Admiring faces smiling at him, clamoring for his autograph. All the media glare. Even an SNL skit. Nothing like an SNL skit to say you have made it and made it big.

And that is where the trouble begins. We are simply restless and fickle. We want change and we want it now. We have become a society that is used to instant this and instant that. And when we don't get it, we can turn ugly.

I remember sitting with a friend who was screaming at her computer because it took almost 30 seconds for it to boot up. Thirty seconds!! "This thing is a piece of crap", she said. This "piece of crap" was the top of the line Apple MacBook that she had been wanting forever. But now she had it and it just wasn't living up to her expectations. So now she hated it. It was, to her, crap.

Have we really become that impossible to please? When is the last time I heard someone say, "Let's just wait and see. Things take time. Give them a chance." I think the last person to say that to me was my own Mom, and she died in 1996.

No, we are an instant society now. We expect things to happen quickly. We are impatient with everything.

And so this brings me back to Scott Brown, our newly elected Senator from Massachusetts. Forty-one. The man who will set Washington straight. The "People's choice".

We have placed him high on that pedestal. But beware. Gloria Steinem once said, "A pedestal is as much a prison as any small, confined space."

He is, in fact, a prisoner to that pedestal as we speak. He is a prisoner to expectations that even he does not know exist. And we are watching him. If he is not careful, he will soon be knocked off of that pedestal. If he does not show us any real change, real soon, we will become restless again. And how do we define change? We don't really know. We just want it. And we want it now.

So, here is some advice to Mr. Brown. Keep driving your truck, no black cars with drivers for you. Keep wearing your barn jacket. Do not vote along with Republicans on everything. Do not ignore a call from a Massachusetts's voter, like your partner, Senator John Kerry does.

Try to step off that pedestal yourself by keeping yourself human and admitting to any mistakes you make. And for goodness sakes, do not use the excuse that you are new or that you need more time. No one will grant you that. No one.

Just be straightforward and tell us the plain truth. That Washington is a maze of madness and that common sense is in short supply. That each and every Senator and Congressman is looking out for his own state, his own district, so that they can be re-elected. That you are honestly shocked by what you see and will stay true to your ideals as long as you can. That you will not become part of the machine.

But be ready for it. The ocean is constantly restless and unpredictable. That same wave of change that placed you on that pedestal is already being reborn to try to knock you off. So, don't try to hold on to it. Just ride the wave, swim with the current and keep your head above water. You cannot bring real change if you are spending all of your time simply trying to stay afloat.

How a Squeaky Wheel becomes a Roar....but first you must be the squeaky wheel.

As you know, I work as a home visit hospice nurse on weekends. I love my job and I love seeing and helping my patients. But we have many, many patients and family caregivers on service. And many times, just a few nurses are available. So I remind them that if we do not hear from them, we are left to assume that everything is going okay. Or at least as well as it can be under the circumstances. That the plan of care that we outlined is working. They do have scheduled visits, but these patients have issues on an ongoing basis. So they should not wait for a scheduled visit if they think things are not going well. They need to be the squeaky wheel. They need to call and tell us. And then we can respond and take care of the issue. We cannot call every patient every day and sometimes things change within hours. They really need to keep us informed. That is what we are there for, to respond to their needs. We want them to call. Some say that they do not want to bother us. I remind them that that is what we are there for and our sole purpose is to take care of them. And we do. When we know.

The same logic should hold true for our elected representatives. Whoever they are. They could be the President, a School Board member, a Senator or the small-town Town Clerk. All of them serve one purpose; to respond to the people that they govern. For their entire term.

However, they seem to only want to reach out and listen to us at election time. They offer many promises; they try to be "just like the everyman". They drive trucks and wear jeans and forgo ties to mirror what they see in us. Regular folk. Most times, they are simply pandering for votes. And it is simply a facade. Because once elected, they many times refuse to listen to the very same people they purported to hold in such high regard. So much for being "one of us". Suddenly, they are way above us. Beyond our reach. It shouldn't happen. And the reason that it does happen? Because we allow it to happen.

It seems that we tend to vote for candidates that are in keeping with some of our core beliefs and we assume, many times wrongly, that they will continue to fight for us and do the job they said they would. But as soon as we turn our backs, and they see that we are no longer looking, they start to do what is best for them. And that isn't always in our best interests. And unless they are caught in the eye of the media, we may never know.

Some say, yes, I know. But I do not have the time to call and complain. I am too busy. And it does so little anyway. So why bother.

True, it does seem that way. But small drops fill buckets. If each of us took the 5 minutes that it actually takes to write an email or to call an office, it would add up. One call, yes, they can ignore that. 25 calls or emails, well, it gets their attention. And so on.

I hear a lot of moms complain about a lot things. Things that local government does or what big government doesn't do. Complaining to each other is fine; but the message dies there. So take just one moment before you go to bed and write that email. Most people have iphones or blackberrys so they can do it while stuck in traffic, or while you are sitting at one of the several activities your children are involved in.

I know that we need to focus on our families and our jobs. And we should. And kids come first and we have to feed them and read to them and snuggle with them. All are top priorities. It is all good. But someday those kids will grow up to be young adults. And they will pay more attention to social issues, like we all did when we were in college. And they will look at you and ask, "what did you do about this?" And wouldn't it be nice to say, yes, I called, I emailed, I paid attention.

I think that actively being involved and paying attention to something that is happening in our community, our towns or our country, even if that is simply sending a 5 minute email to an elected official, is a great civics lesson for our kids. And who better to teach this lesson than their own parents. Us. What a great example we would be setting.

I know there are so many issues out there and I know it seems so overwhelming that we all just turn off the TV because we just don't want to see it. We cannot help everyone. But if you notice that something that you have heard is really bothering you, and it is important to you, you should call or write. Many of us make the mistake that someone else will do it. And they usually don't. I often say this to myself, one of my favorite quotes, "If not now, when, if not me, who".

I know that we also witness a lot of crazy, ranting people. I do not advocate that. A simple, polite inquiry is all you need to send. It sends the message that I am out here. I am seeing this. I am paying attention. I don't like this.

They hate that. Trust me.

Right now, I am angry that one man, one man, can hold up important legislation. So I am going out on a limb and calling him out. That would be Senator Richard Shelby from Alabama and the Consumer Protection Bill. But I digress.

Anyway, remember that we women would not even have the right to vote if some other brave women did not go out and make a fuss about it.

They were a squeaky wheel that eventually became a roar that no one could ignore.

And now that we have the right to vote and we should go beyond that and demand the right to be heard.