Medicine: "Public" is a dirty word?

It seems strange that there are so many people who think that a Public Option for health care is so awful. Like the idea of it being public is somehow repugnant to them. I make great efforts to understand others' points of view, and the best that I could come up with is that there are people who feel like *they* would be paying for *the public* to have health care.

That got me thinking...
*they* are already paying for *the public* to have an education. Is health care NOT as vital to our country as education? Don't misunderstand me, I am not extolling the virtues of government schools - I doubt there is an American alive who doesn't know that there are inherent flaws in the system. But isn't keeping our population healthy as important as educating them?

Perhaps if those opposed to a public option for health care were to see the ramifications of losing the public option for education, things might change. Suppose the government decided that it was too expensive to keep running public schools, so the only option was to close them down.

Those wealthy enough to afford private school, could educate their children. A few others might start homeschooling. But what about the millions of children currently educated in government schools? They would be left to fend for themselves. It would be a matter of a single generation before a camera crew could film a piece for "feed the children" in the streets of any city or town on the map. NOT educating the *public* just isn't an option.

So why the resistance to the same for health care? Yes, it all comes down to money. But in the end, if EVERY citizen is entitled to health care - either through their own insurer, cash or the public option, the cost for health care will go DOWN. Once every person has access to preventative care, and people can be treated when they first get sick, people won't get AS sick, and it won't take as much money to treat them.

The price of care in a hospital is based on the costs that hospital incurs. Right now, hospitals have to cover the expenditures they make while treating the indigent in the ER (for things like ear infections and the flu) and the way to do that is to spread those costs among its paying patients. If hospital ERs could be limited to TRUE emergencies, the hospital costs would be reduced, and costs for other services could be lowered. How do we keep non-emergency patients out of the ER? By offering them health care in a doctor's office! It seems so simple.

The issue of health care is NOT a simple one. There are many corporations to please, many people to consider. I do think, however, that the issue of CARING for people's HEALTH is a simple one - we must. We must find a safe, simple and cost-effective way to keep people healthy. (Ask a nurse - I bet he or she would have some ideas.)

I look forward to a day when we can say, "Can you believe it? There was a time when sick people just DIED because they couldn't afford health care. There was a time when poor people couldn't be healed."

So let's get everyone healthy... then maybe we can figure out how to get our schools back in prime working order.

Being Broke Bites - Big Time

My husband has a really good saying about people who lack wealth. I am paraphrasing, but essentially he says that there is a difference between being broke and being poor. People who are broke, are without wealth temporarily. Being poor is a lifestyle.

I hope that's true, and for now, I will say we are flat broke. While the "rest of the world" only noticed the economic downturn with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, we've been feeling the pinch for over a year. The cloudy skies of the economy were felt first in the real estate business and it was just about a year ago when we first started tightening our belts and cutting out expenses. There were lots of things on the market, but everyone was being careful with their money. Rich had, and continues to have, a LOT of work, but deals aren't CLOSING so the pipeline has dried up.

Truthfully, it goes way beyond broke. The financial experts always say that folks should have six to eight months of "reserves" in savings to cover expenses when something happens with work. By June of last year, we were already three months into those reserves. We've maxed out our credit limit on the cards that weren't canceled, and the creditors are calling. It isn't pretty.

We've stretched every dollar farther and farther. The boys quit gymnastics last June, and karate in December. We spend nothing on anything that isn't absolutely necessary - I don't remember the last time I bought ANYTHING other than groceries! Other than a fast food dollar menu treat once in a while, we have only eaten out for super special occasions (Richard's birthday and Mother's Day) since last November - and even those times we were very careful.

I've started selling my cards online (shameless plug) here. And trying to drum up work where I can. I even applied at (gasp!) WalMart but I don't think even THEY are hiring, because while I believe I am fairly employable, I haven't heard anything yet.

The crazy thing is that it isn't a lot of FUN to live this way, but I am kind of used to it. And even though we'd love to buy the boys new bike helmets and a new toy or two (and honestly, I could really use some new underwear - mine have far more than the required three holes), every DAY I am thankful for what we DO have. I have a loving, HEALTHY family (good thing, since we gave up health insurance in December!), we have a house to live in, clothes on our backs, (and friends with hand-me downs since the boys are growing SO quickly,) we have food to eat (thanks to the food stamps we have FINALLY been approved for - I thought I would be ashamed of it, but you know what? I'm not. My kids need to eat.) and are surrounded by amazing people both literally -our local friends - and figuratively - our friends and family all around the world.

Would I CHOOSE to be broke? Never. I much prefer to be on the giving end of things! I LIKE to play Santa, or anonymous samaritan, and help people out and I miss that. But one day, when we're flush again, I think I will appreciate the extra things just a little bit more. Like buying underwear when I need it.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day has definitely improved as my kids have grown. This morning, I got breakfast in the chaise (ever so much more civilized than in bed - and definitively less messy!). Followed by a scavenger hunt which led me to potted honeysuckle (which I really wanted), coupons for housework (like cleaning the cat box!), a shadow box they created, and finally more potted plants - this time veggies for the beginning of a vegetable garden!

I feel very loved.

Happy Mother's Day to every mother everywhere, whether your children are young, old, in utero, or covered in fur or feathers or scales, enjoy this day!

The theatre lights dimmed, the orchestra began, applause exploded, the curtain opened, and Rosie O'Donnell appeared. It was surreal. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one in which only 500 or so people participated, and I was one of those people.

Just two days earlier, I received notice, by email, that I had won two tickets to see ROSIE Live. It was only a matter of hours before my wonderful husband had figured out a way for us all to go, so that we could be together on Thanksgiving (even if it was only to drive home that day!). He found us an inexpensive hotel on the New Jersey side of the Hudson, half-price tickets to take the boys to see Hairspray, and several places along I-95 to get cheap gas.

I had two tickets to see the show, but no one under 18 was admitted (so I couldn't take one boy and leave the other with Rich) and we didn't have anywhere to leave the boys in NYC, so I couldn't take Rich either. I emailed my friend Mike to see if he would like to go with me. When he didn't get back to me, I Im'ed my friend Kelly, a RoBlogger, but she was heading out of town to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Kelly told me about another RoBlogger, Deb whom she thought would LOVE to go to the show. After reading Deb's blog, and seeing that we were like-minded in many ways, I left a comment on her blog to contact me. Then Mike emailed me back. What a quandry! I talked with Kelly, who also hadn't heard from Deb and thought maybe she was out of town. So I emailed Mike back, we exchanged cell phone numbers and made plans to meet at the theatre at 6pm on Wednesday.

The drive to NYC was fairly uneventful. We left around 1am on Wednesday morning and arrived at the hotel just after noon. Rich took the boys to the pool while I rested and then I got ready and headed into the city, while they rested.

I arrived at the theatre around 5pm and the will-call line was already forming. I had a quick bite at Papaya Dog and got in line, followed shortly by fellow blogger Doris and her daughter. It is always fun to talk to other fans at these events and they were no exception. There was a darling young intern Kelly, who was so friendly and helpful. She made everyone feel very welcome.

Eventually, we got our tickets and I headed over to meet Mike at 6pm. After a quick catch up on the year since we met, we headed back to the theatre and after a short wait, were admitted to the lobby.

By about 6:30pm, we were in our seats. All the bloggers were in one section, so we all had a chance to chat. I recognized quite a few from the book signing. I also saw Deb, and found out later that she also won tickets. We did a lot of people-watching as the "important" folks took their seats. We saw Ro's wife Kelli, their children Parker, Chelsea, Blake, Vivi, and nanny Geraldine (as well as several of Geraldine's sisters from Ireland). We also noticed Ro's bff Jackie, columnist Liz Smith, Cynthia McFadden, Georgette Mosbacher, Sharon Gless, producer Janette Barber, and publicist Cyndi Berger. Then Julie Halston (whom we referred to as "Martini Lady" because we could not remember her name and she looked like the kind of woman who would have a martini after work), came out into the audience and spoke with us. She was gathering information for her audience warm-up. She was so charming and ebullient, I knew she would be fun to watch.

On the way back from a quick trip to the bathroom, Joe Dziemainowicz of the New York Daily News interviewed me for about twenty minutes! Sadly, I was not mentioned in his VERY short article.

At last, Julie came out and started talking to the audience. We had to practice applause, and laughter - which in itself, I found to be hilarious. She was very funny and I enjoyed her banter. At one point, I guess I was laughing loudly enough that she recognized it was me and said, "That's South Carolina, I love you, South Carolina!"

Then the show began. It really was phenomenal. Ro came out and did a short monologue (including a bit about spanx being a onesie for plus size 40-somethings!) and then Liza Minnelli appeared. It was overwhelming to see them doing the "big splashy opening number" together.

At the commercial break, a George-Burns-as-god like voice came over the PA system to tell Ro that she was already a little heavy. (This is a term used when a live-show is going over its planned timing.) Ro jokingly responded that she thought they had decided no one was going to discuss such things in a public forum, as if the producer was talking about her weight. They had a short discussion about how they would compensate for the time and then we were back LIVE in five-four-"applause"-three-two...

I won't give a blow-by-blow of the actual performances, since, if you wanted to know about the show, you would have watched it. However, the list of stars who appeared was very long: Alec Baldwin, Conan O'Brien, QTpa2Ts tap-dancing, The Lombard Twins, Jane Krakowski, Clay Aiken, Ne-Yo, Nancy Grace, Kathy Griffin (as Nancy Grace), Harry Connick, Jr., Anti-Gravity, Jennifer Cody (as Little Sally), Alanis Morissette, Gloria Estefan, and Rachael Ray.

After Jane Krakowski's performance, I said to Mike that I couldn't wait to get home to watch it on TiVo because I was too busy looking at the screen (at all our fabulous prizes) to really watch her number. She is an amazing talent. During the commercial break after that, Ro jokingly asked 13-year-old son Parker if he enjoyed her "little striptease" much. Then the George-Burns-as-god like voice said that the show was now a full two-minutes heavy. Ro replied, "Didn't I TELL you that this would happen?" To the audience, she said, "We were three minutes light at dress, and everyone was freaking out. I told them we didn't have an audience, and that the applause would kill that three minutes PLUS some." They discussed which intros and exits to cut, which jokes to cut and other ways to trim the show accordingly.

Watching it back on tv late Thursday night, (after our VERY long day traveling home - the return trip took fourteen hours!) I understand why there were some critical reviews. The dark theatre and intimate performances really didn't translate to television. The complaints that the show didn't flow were likely because of the segues and intros that were hastily cut. Sadly, the ratings weren't great, and Ro has already announced on her blog that there will be no more. That's really too bad, because the variety show genre deserves a true fan to be the one to resurrect it. I am sure the ratings weren't great because it was the day before Thanksgiving. Plus, the TV Guide grid had the show slated at 9pm. I wonder how many Rosie fans tuned in to see the Live show, only to be treated to a "turkey day" version of Deal or No Deal?

After the show was over, we got to do a lot more people watching because we had to remain in our seats to complete paperwork to accept (and pay taxes for) our prizes, and then go out, in groups of twenty, to collect them. Our group was one of the last to leave the theatre about 10:30pm.

The entire experience was truly wonderful. I feel so lucky and honored to have been among the few who experienced it live. I am so thankful to everyone involved. I am also grateful that I have the show on TiVo so that I can revisit the experience whenever I want to! Now if I can only figure out how to TiVo my memories!

Rights / Equality

Prop 8 (a proposition in California which would ban gay marriage) seems to have passed. I find this so disheartening not only because I believe that all people should receive equal treatment; not only because I have gay friends whom I believe should have the same rights that I do; not only because it is wrong to discriminate; but also because in a country which was created on the idea of freedom, Prop 8 TOOK AWAY the freedoms of a group of people. To me, that is wrong.

I have some thoughts on a way to really equalize the marriage laws and allow the neo-conservatives, fundamentalists and religious zealots to get what they want. It seems that those who are against gay marriage are most protective of the WORD marriage. They want to (constitutionally) DEFINE the word marriage. I doubt they will ever back down, so we need to remove the power that word has.

Perhaps the government should recognize ONLY "civil unions" (or whatever they want to call them). In the eyes of the government, any person, who has signed the documents to legally bind him or herself to another, would be consider legally bound to that person until said document is legally revoked.

All pairs bound by this document receive the same legal rights and tax benefits. Doing this would allow us to refrain from constitutionally changing the definition of marriage because in the eyes of the government, there would be no such thing. Doing this would give the same rights to any legal paired couple, gay or straight.

Therefore the word "marriage" would mean nothing legally to anyone. People who want to be "married" simply find the person of their choice to perform a ceremony... in a church, in a backyard, on a beach, skydiving, etc. People can be as protective as they wish about the word "marriage" because it holds no legal meaning.

I want to keep god out of government and government out of the bedroom. I think perhaps this might solve both.

EDIT: I found this clip of Keith Olbermann with a special comment on the passing of Prop 8. It doesn't particularly futher my point, but I found it compelling.



EDIT: I can't have a Prop 8 post without including this hilarious web-movie I just found, starring (among others) Jack Black, Kathy Najimy, Alison Janney, Margaret Cho, Neil Patrick Harris, Rashida Jones, Maya Rudolph, Jenifer Lewis, Sarah Chalke, Andy Richter and John C. Reilley. It was staged Marc Shaiman (also at the piano) and directed by Adam Shankman. The two previously collaborated on the "Hairspray" movie musical. Enjoy!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Lovin' Pumpkin Time

I love this time of year. The nip of the autumn breeze. The colors of the trees. The bright orange pumpkins and the feeling of fun in that hangs in the air like the smoke from the burning leaves (the smell of which, I could do without!). It probably has something to do with my birthday being this time of year. Some of my earliest memories are of the excitement I would feel as a little girl seeing the pumpkins and feeling the chill and knowing that my birthday was around the corner!

This year, for the first time in recorded history, Simon and Greg LOVED their costumes AND didn't complain once - about being itchy, feeling scratchy, being too hot or too cold or too tired. They didn't fight about what their costumes would be. Simon wanted to be Captain Hook and Greg chose Peter Pan. All the work that went into making their costumes was worth it! I just hope that I can get a few more "good years" out of them before they deem themselves too cool for Trick-or-Treating!

: ) P

Back to the Sanctuary

I've said it before, and I will say it again, I LOVE NEW YORK!

Don't get me wrong, I love the west coast, too! Sunshine, surf, sand, all good. I've got California in my blood, but I think I have New York in my soul!

We took the boys there to celebrate Greg's eighth birthday (08/08/08) in Chinatown, since in Asia, eight is considered the luckiest number, especially in multiples. Going to China wasn't in the budget, so Chinatown it was. We ate Dim Sum lunch at the Triple 8 Palace (also called 88 Palace) on 88 E. Broadway. The only way we could have been luckier would have been if we had eight people in our group!

The most wonderful thing for me, though, was taking the boys to their first Broadway show. We went to the Saturday matinee of Wicked and from the first notes of the orchestra, the boys were completely engaged, not even moving for the first hour! At one point, Greg leaned over and said, "Mom, I got GOOSEBUMPS!" It was amazing to be in that moment with them both. Afterwards, Simon told me, "On a scale of one to ten, where one is no way, never, and ten was I want to see that again every day... it was about a nine, Mom. That was awesome."

I've said before that musical theatre is a religious experience for me... it moves me in ways I never thought possible. And judging from their choruses of "Popular" and "For Good" and "Loathing," I think my boys are pretty happy about it, too.

Gotta love that.

The Character of America

A few months ago, Nancy Gibbs wrote an essay for Time Magazine which really stuck with me. It was called Our Armies, Ourselves, and subtitled How we treat our veterans says a lot about America's character. These days, it isn't pretty.

The full article can be found here (for a while at least).

The article is still stinging me because it is filled with haunting facts about the war in Iraq. It is no secret to those who know me that I am, and have always been, AGAINST this atrocity, the war in Iraq. As Americans, we were led blindly, I feel, into a rage against a people who did nothing to us, using falsified intelligence, against the United Nations, and without the support of most of the free world, into an ILLEGAL war.

Don't misunderstand me, I support our troops, the brave men and women who signed up to fight for the fabric of America. The freedoms which make America special are worth fighting for and I wholeheartedly support the people who make it their livelihood, and often give up their lives, to do so. I support them so much that I want to bring them home. And I want them properly cared for when they are home.

From Ms. Gibb's essay: "Wars are like icebergs: much of the cost remains hidden, and the near doubling of the defense budget since 2001 does not cover what lies ahead. Better body armor and trauma care mean new life for thousands of soldiers who would have died in any earlier war. But many are broken or burned or buried in pain from what they saw and did. One in five suffers from major depression or posttraumatic stress, says a new Rand Corp. study; more than 300,000 have suffered traumatic brain injury. The cost of treating them is projected to double over the next 25 years. Four hundred thousand veterans are waiting for cases to be processed. The number seeking assistance for homelessness is up 600% in the past year."

DID YOU READ THOSE STATISTICS?

She continued, "In the face of so much need, too often comes denial. At a May 6 hearing, lawmakers lit into officials from Veterans Affairs after an e-mail surfaced from Ira Katz, its chief of mental health, on suicide rates of soldiers in its care. The subject line: "Shhh." The VA had been insisting there were fewer than 800 suicide attempts a year by vets in its care; the real number was closer to 12,000."

For the love of Pete, let's bring those brave souls home and start taking CARE of them properly!

EDIT: An anonymous poster took a position that the war is, in fact, legal. As I said in my reply, legality is a fact, not an opinion. And so, I give references to that fact below:

Kreiger

Other links

Morality and the Modern Girl

I was talking online with a stranger (long story, quite funny, but not necessary at this moment) who happened to be a Catholic. His attitude seemed to be that it really didn't MATTER what sins he committed as long as he confessed about them later.

That got me thinking. I mean, are there MANY people who feel that way? Do people think that as long as you repent, apologize, confess or in some way offer restitution after the fact, it doesn't matter what you did?

I so completely DON'T live that way, and really thought I was in the norm. But maybe I am not.

I went on to tell this person that not EVERYONE uses the bible as a moral compass. He was shocked, he believed it was the ONLY guidance to morality. I replied, (and I quote), "Now here, we are at an impasse, because you believe that the only guidance to morality is a bunch of books written thousands of years ago; and I believe that there is a moral human compass inside each of us and whether or not we choose to listen to it is up to each person - some people look to the bible for guidance, others do not - does not make any one thing more right than the other."

It was then that I realized that maybe I think completely differently than the average person. I mean I know I do in some ways, but I suppose I had no idea that there is an entire population that believes that any act is FINE as long as you repent. Wow. I mean, doesn't that sound as though IF you believe in the bible, it doesn't matter how you act?

Because I believe that if something is wrong, it is just wrong. It will still BE wrong even if I ask for forgiveness or absolution. So I just try not to do things that are wrong, EVER. I am not always completely successful, but never-the-less, I make my best effort.

But now I have to question everything anyone else does. I don't think I like that very much.

Who's Write?

I don't really understand it. This writers' strike. I don't understand how the studios and networks let this strike start. I don't understand how the AMPTP (The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers) lets it continue.

As I understand it, the WGA (Writers Guild of America)is requesting a minute percentage of the profits from digital media.

The networks claim that they aren't MAKING any money, because what is available on the internet is "promotional" in nature.

Hmmm. Does that mean that Clorox and Toyota and Target aren't PAYING them anything to insert their commercials at the beginning of every episode? Gosh, I thought the networks were smarter than that.

Hmmm. Does that mean that i-tunes gets every penny of the $1.99 they receive for individual episodes? Gosh, I thought the networks would negotiate for some of that income.

So, if the networks aren't actually MAKING any money, as they say, what do they CARE if they give 2% of that "nothing" away?

But here's the thing... the networks are re-packaging material that is ALREADY BOUGHT and PAID for, wrapping it in a nice neat bow and RESELLING it.

They are making a few bucks now and expect to be making more. Sharing the wealth with the people who CREATED the very programming from which they profit is only fair.

But here is something else I don't understand. Why are writers persecuting Ellen Degeneres? It seems that Ellen decided to cross the picket line and continue with her show despite the strike.

I don't think Ellen is wrong. I believe she is doing her best to serve her audience - particularly those who made travel plans to see a show taping.

Also, there is a large staff of people who are NOT writers who will lose their paycheck if Ellen shuts down production. She isn't hiring OTHER people to try to write - she is writing her show herself. A person can support striking workers in ways other than actually striking with them.

So, yes, I believe the writers are justified in striking, but my heart goes out to the thousands of other crew members who will not be working while the strike continues.

Many of these people, writers included, don't make big bucks, so being without work will be difficult for many and I wish them luck.

I hope this strike is resolved quickly - for everyone who will be affected - including me - because other than Survivor and The Amazing Race, I just don't get the appeal of reality television!

Yellow Serendipity

The planets aligned. It was pure serendipity. "It was meant to be."

She said those words to me, "It was meant to be." She listened to me and that was her answer. I was choked up (and likely not particularly comprehensible), but never-the-less, we made a brief, yet monumental, connection.

This trip to NYC has been planned for months, tickets to shows were bought in June. This is our 10th anniversary trip, our first vacation without Simon and Greg, and the planets aligned for me today.

It was pure unadulterated serendipity that I was in NYC for the signing of Rosie O'Donnell's newest book CELEBRITY DETOX - The Fame Game. The book was supposed to come out last month. The book signing was supposed to happen LAST Tuesday. WHY it was delayed, I do not know, but because it was, I met Ro.

(Why I feel like *I* can call her Ro, when her stage name is Rosie, I just don't know. But it feels right. Kind of like that hurdle you cross when you FINALLY admit you are a grownup and even though you SHOULD have called your third grade teacher by her first name for years, you FINALLY are able to do it. But I digress...)

The wait in line was actually quite pleasant. I met a lovely young man, Mike, an actor from Chicago, and we both read our new books for the first hour and then chatted about a wide range of subjects. Cool kid, has his head on straight, better than most do at twenty-something. I think he'll get somewhere in life.

The experience of meeting Ro was overwhelming. Kelli was there. That woman is simply stunning. I think I also recognized Ro's publicist (Cindi Berger, I think) from the Dixie Chicks documentary. And then, there she was.

A woman so brave, who champions for children, who lives and breathes the truth. And she talked to me.

I had a picture of Simon and Greg in their peace t-shirts. I gave it to her, telling her I was sharing some of my yellow with her, since she was always giving so much to others. She asked who took the photo (I did) and said they were beautiful.

*sigh*

(That's when I started crying.)

I thanked her. For doing so much... for children... for the TRUTH.

YELLOW * YELLOW * YELLOW!

Tonight, we see Spring Awakening. I love New York.


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

Yellow Serendipity - Part Two

We went to a very late lunch after the book signing and had some time to kill before Spring Awakening, so I told Rich that Ro was showing art in a gallery somewhere REALLY close to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre where Spring Awakening was playing. So we hiked in on over to 49th Avenue to go to the gallery. We arrived at a little before 5pm and there was a lot of commotion. It seems that there was a private party (with Ro and as it turned out, a lot of celebrity guests). Since there wasn't really time to go back to the hotel and return for the 7pm curtain, we just wandered around the area for a while.

Until it started to rain.

So Rich and I hung out under the awning outside the gallery, waiting for the rain to pass - and waiting to hear from a college friend of Rich's to see if he and his new bride were going to be able to meet us. Well! While we were waiting, we saw Chita Rivera going into the gallery. THE * Chita * Rivera. Oh MY LANTA!

Oddly enough, I also saw Tom Hulce. He is probably best known from Amadeus, but he is a consummate stage actor. He was walking past the gallery towards the theatre. (Turns out, he is one of the producers of Spring Awakening.)

Anyway, when we didn't hear from Jim, and the rain passed, we headed to the theatre.

Spring Awakening was freekin amazing. Excuse me, please, because I need to repeat myself. It was FREEKIN amAzing. It has some naughty bits and a lot of coarse language, so it is NOT for children, or the weak-hearted, but seriously, a truly incredible show.

Did I say that I love New York?

The Theatre is my Sanctuary

Musical theatre is a religious experience to me.

Sadly, I rarely get to go to "church." When we moved to the Myrtle Beach area back in 1999, we CHOSE the area because, at the time, the Palace Theatre was home to a variety of National Touring companies of Broadway shows. In 2002, the theatre closed. Later it was sold and now has its own in-house shows - with very rare occasions when a musical comes through.

But this week, in celebration of our tenth wedding anniversary, Rich and I are in the "holy land" of New York City. It is my intention to see as many shows as possible - I have to squeeze in as much heaven as I can into this week.

Last night, we went to Spamalot. Oh MY LANTA. It was freaking amazing. Honestly, I was only going to appease Rich, who is a huge Monty Python fan. I really did NOT expect to enjoy it all that much, but not only was it brilliantly funny, the music was fantastic.

Tonight, we see Rent. Yes, we found a theatre that isn't dark on Monday nights! I might actually fit seven shows into six days! I LOVE New York City.

The four stages of pregnancy - OR - moving into a new house

I have decided that getting a new house is a lot like having a baby.

While you are in the planning stages, the pregnancy, as it were, there is a lot of anticipation, nervousness and and excitement. There is a lot of planning and dreaming and all of it is thrilling.

Then you have hours of pain and hard labor (when you swear you will NEVER DO IT AGAIN, but somehow this is easily forgotten within a few months).

This is followed by relief and euphoria - you did it! It is done! You have your prize.

Finally, there is a lifetime of maintenance and upkeep.

For us, the water has broken and I am having early contractions (small pains dealing with contractors!). We will move in at the end of the month - when the hard labor begins.

Hypocrisy and the lewd act

Larry Craig.

Larry, Larry, Larry.

If I were accused of something which I thought was morally reprehensible and that I know I didn't do, I would fight the accusation tooth and nail. I am not saying that the man INTENDED to solicit sex in the bathroom at the airport. It is possible that the guy just made a number of specific unusual movements and it was all coincidental. But, if Larry Craig's actions WERE simply coincidence, why did he plead to a lesser charge with the hopes that it would all "just go away?" This leads me to believe that he DID solicit sex in that bathroom.

So let's suppose he DID do that of which he is accused. So what? The guy didn't offer money for sex. He made a couple of hand and foot gestures which apparently means, "I'm available." He didn't PAY for sex. He didn't even ENGAGE in sex. Had he got that far, I suppose some kind of "lewd act" charge could have been levied.

But he DID get arrested, and he did plead guilty. And instead of apologizing to his constituents (and his wife) for the deed and the arrest, he is only worried about being thought gay. Larry, that's NOT what you need to worry about!

It is the hypocrisy that makes me mad. Based on his voting record, and his religious background, he apparently believes that to be a homosexual is (a) a choice and (b) a sin. But based on his actions, he IS gay, and seemingly cannot control his actions, or else he CHOOSES to sin. If he believes sexual acts with another man is SO wrong, why doesn't he avoid them?

He does not avoid them because being gay is NOT a choice. And one of the really awful things here is that if he just dropped religious trappings and accepted himself as he really is, he wouldn't HAVE to resort to anonymous sex in a public bathroom at an airport. He could have a loving fulfilling relationship.

A person doesn't choose to be gay, just as a person doesn't choose to have a blood disorder, a specific eye color or a smattering of freckles. And BEING gay should no more be a sin than having a blood disorder, specific eye color or freckles is a sin.

When I was a child, my mother told me of a time when women had few rights and were treated like second class citizens. I was flabberghasted to think that women did not have equal rights from the beginning of time.

As my children are growing up, I tell them about a time not long ago when people were treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. My kids are horrified to think that segregation existed.

I look forward to a time when MY kids can tell THEIR kids about THIS time in history. A time when people are treated unfairly because they are gay... and my grandchildren will be just as disgusted by this news as I was at the thought of sexism, and as my children are now by the idea of segregation.

So Larry, get over yourself. Spread the word among your religious right. Let them know that homosexuality is NOT wrong, it is NOT a sin. Read your bible more carefully, as I think you will find your god will love you and accept you no matter what. Be true to yourself, Larry. Let go of the lies and revel in the joy of honesty. You will like yourself more. I am pretty sure.

The Walls of WTC Came a'Tumblin' Down

Have you SEEN the way WTC7 fell to the ground? A steel and concrete building, crumbling to nothing but dust in its own footprint. Quite a sight. And really rather frightening.

See the planes didn't HIT that building. There WAS no jet fuel leaking into the elevator shafts. There was a fire (and HOW did it start?) and that is all. Yet that incredibly strong, relatively newly built (1985) building just collapsed?

Check this out: http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/wtc7.html

So here's the thing.

If WTC7 just fell like THAT.

when no plane hit

when no jet fuel leaked

to crumble to dust from nothing but fire

(and supposedly no explosives)

how can people POSSIBLY feel safe in ANY building?

THINK, people.

Think

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Somewhat Radical Theories about Kids - Part 2

For tens of thousands of years, babies were carried at their mother's breast, in arms or in slings, until the children were old enough to be ambulatory. This created a deeply rooted attachment to a warm and loving body, both literally and figuratively.

In the last generation, mothers in our part of the world have bought into the "baby bucket" mentality. Those ever-convenient baby car-seat/bed contraptions are, I am convinced, at the very least a contributing factor to some of the childhood issues our society faces today. Once again, I do not have a medical degree, but I can not see the good in physically, and psychologically, separating a baby from his or her mother for most of the day.

There are documented cases of children being LEFT in the baby bucket all day, removed only for diaper changes. I think this is criminal! I am not saying that these infant car seats are bad, just that overuse can be detrimental to a child's well-being. Such lack of affection and human contact MUST affect a child later in life.

Somewhat Radical Theories about Kids - Part 1

I have a couple of radical theories about the state of our children. I don't have a medical degree, but I consider myself to be a reasonably good observer. Who knows if any of my ideas make sense? Someday, research will show something concrete about all of this. In the meantime, here is the first of my theories:

Sometime ago, probably about six years or so, I read an article which stated that if an infant consumed an entire diet soda (rich in sugar-replacement chemical compounds), the child would be severely brain damaged. This led me through an interesting thought process.

If sugar substitutes were indeed that harmful to a baby, could they not also be harmful to a fetus? Personally, I avoided all sugar substitutes while pregnant (along with avoiding being near running microwaves and anyone who was inhaling carcinogenic smoke). But I knew of lots of women who LIVED on diet soda.

Then I thought about the dramatic rise in ADD diagnoses in the late 80's. Was there a correlation between that and diet soda?

Prior to 1982, there were few diet sodas on the market: tab and fresca were the most popular. In 1982, diet coke was introduced, followed quickly by a diet version of pretty much every soda on the market. Is it a coincidence that six years later (when all the previously unborn children of diet-soda-drinking-mothers-to-be were hitting school age), we saw a dramatic increase in the number of ADD diagnoses?

Hmmm.

Planned Controversy is Bad Business

May 23, 2007, was not a good day for daytime television. "The View" which, with the addition of Rosie O'Donnell in September, had risen from fashion, fluff and frivolity to purpose and substance over this season, hit an all time low. By now everyone has heard about it (just turn on one of those InsideAccessInfotainmentEditionExtraTonight shows and you will be bombarded with clips, and of course every "news" show on television is jumping on the bandwagon in attempt to boost ratings): the "feud."

What saddens me is that ABC clearly set this up. Elisabeth Hasselbeck had obviously been prepped, as I think she has been for the last month or so. The split screens they used were planned in advance. It is just awful that ABC wants so badly to capitalize on Rosie's leaving (and the ratings boost she brought to the show) that they would resort to planning a feud.

I KNEW that Rosie had been set up when the clips page on the ABC Daytime page were titled, "The Feud pt 1" and "The Feud pt 2." ABC WANTED this controversy. Now they have retitled those clips, "Joy vs. Elisabeth" and "Rosie vs. Elisabeth."

Rosie speaks for MANY people and tries to open the eyes of the ostriches with their heads in the sand. Much of the WORLD views Americans in a terrible way. There are going to be people who don't agree, who think she is loud or brash. I just think she is a woman who stands up for what she believes, and wants Americans to see there is more than one point of VIEW. She asks people to THINK.

And for the record, at NO TIME, did Rosie EVER say that our troops were terrorists. She has ALWAYS supported the troops. I believe she SIMPLY said that OTHER people might consider Americans terrorists because we have occupied a country (which did NOTHING to the US), and have killed innocent citizens. I think she was POINTING OUT that the word TERRORIST has been overused to create fear in the hearts of the American people, and that if there is such a wide open definition of terrorist, perhaps OTHER PEOPLE might consider AMERICANS to be terrorists.

Something Had To Give

"Unbearably tragic."

I used to be a fan of Anna Nicole Smith. Back in the early nineties, she was a "broad with hutzpah," who spoke her mind with courage and conviction. She went after what she wanted and I thought that inspiring.

Sadly though, her life has been wrought with tragedy. Caught up in the whirlwind addiction that is fame, her life was toxic.

She said she wanted to BE Marilyn Monroe. To an extent, poor girl, I believe she has been our generation's Marilyn. Probably NOT in the way Anna Nicole once hoped, but sorrowfully, she has followed in the icon's footsteps.

I was not alive when Marilyn was, but I can still draw parallels... not between the two blondes' lives, so much as they way the women were used.

The difference between Marilyn and Anna Nicole is purely technological.

In the sixties, we were in the Vietnam War, a war we were realizing was not only not winnable, but costing lives.

Marilyn was a distraction. In her death, we mourned the loss of an icon.

Now, we are in a war we cannot win, costing untold lives and causing untold suffering.

Anna Nicole was, is, a distraction. We are mourning the loss of a different kind.

In the sixties, we did not have 24 hour news channels, streaming video, reality television and instant downloads to publicize every second of a calamity... to drag out the toxic tragedy and bastardize it to a second, more horrifying, disconcerting expiration.

In the sixties, we had the daily paper and the nightly news. People shared their opinion over the back fence or the watercooler. There was a respectability, and respectfulness in journalism. Marilyn Monroe was allowed to die with dignity, despite the questionable circumstances surrounding her death.

I just hope that, in this, the information age, we don't let the distractions keep us from realizing the REAL reality. Our involvement in the Vietnam War lasted sixteen years. How long will the war in Iraq go on?