Monday, June 13, 2016

Donald Trump and the un-making of America amid the massacre in Orlando

He had every opportunity to rise above his constant rants and childish tantrums, but Donald Trump instead chose that moment to congratulate himself for predicting the massacre in Orlando.

While bodies lay cold and gallons of blood were still flowing across the nightclub floor, the presumptive Republican nominee showed just how small he was by Tweeting, “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism.” Trump tweeted triumphantly mid-Sunday, “I don’t want congrats, I want toughness and vigilance.” (Politico/CNN)

Again, the FBI and Orlando police were still removing bodies from the nightclub.

He could have taken a breath and shown due respect to those killed and wounded, congratulated the Orlando police department, Sheriff's deputies, SWAT . . . anyone . .  for saving dozens of others trapped by the gunman inside the club, and held out a sympathetic hand to the LGBT community.

But no. The carnival barker couldn’t rise . . . couldn’t bring himself to see the events as anything but a way to congratulate himself and bark at Obama and Clinton. While gallons of blood were still flowing across the floor.

There were more than 300 people in Pulse, the popular gay nightclub, when the shooter entered, engaging a uniformed Orlando policeman working at the club.

The brave, the courageous and the supporters . . . That cop, massively outgunned, saved dozens of lives. Cops rush in when we all flee. Orlando police and Sheriff's deputies . . .The team that burst through the wall with their Bearcat armored vehicle and killed the shooter in a hail of gunfire  . . . The hundreds and hundreds of people who lined up to give blood . . . The doctors, nurses and first responders, as well as club goers, who saved lives . . . The outpouring of support from around the country and the world . . .

But Trump was unable to see the big picture and modify his usual antics, even hinting later in the day that Obama might be sympathetic to terrorists. That little twist of words encourages Trump’s rabid supporters to think that maybe Obama’s “Muslim” sympathies or even his “Muslim beliefs” were the reason he avoids saying “radical Islamic terrorists,” even though many terrorism experts believe that term inflames and divides.

“He could have appeared dignified, controlled, in-command, following the time-tested presidential path blazed by George W. Bush in 2001 and Obama on Sunday. Instead, he bellowed like Ralph Kramden throwing an I-told-you-so over his shoulder at passengers on his bus.” (Politico)

No matter whether or not one is a Trump supporter, his blindness to large issues, and his inability to grasp even basic knowledge about a wide range of topics is becoming more and more obvious. Even Trump enabler Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “. . . It’s pretty obvious he (Trump) doesn’t know a lot about the issues. You see that in the debates in which he’s participated.”

And yet here we are, an ego maniac touting his "incredible insight" into terrorism by bragging that he saw the Orlando attack coming. So did everyone else, Donald. We all knew there would be other attacks, and we also know that you insult the FBI and other law enforcement agencies by saying “our security is terrible.”

While he continued through the day with his self-congratulatory Tweets, and attacks on his political opponents, he offered not one solution to stop this type of lone wolf attack. Not one. Big, sweeping rhetoric, but not one solution or idea offered that might actually stop a crazy person from legally buying a couple of guns and unleashing hell in a nightclub.

Perhaps that’s because there are no easy solutions . . . As I said, these types of attacks are nearly impossible to stop . . . There is no communication between the potential shooter and anyone else, but only a cold determination to go kill people. Cops will stop potential threats here and there (As they did in Los Angeles over the weekend when they arrested a guy with a car full of weapons and bomb-making supplies.) Potential attackers may make mistakes that hit the law enforcement radar, but, as in the Orlando case, they may not.

Trump is unwinding the things that make our nation great. His ignorance, small-minded thoughts, twisted insinuations and petty personal attacks are not making us great again, they are making us more divided, fearful, petty and racially ignorant. Trump fans the worst flames of hate and prejudice and congratulates himself for knowing what we all know, turning what could have been a human moment into a day of self-loving. People died, Donald.

One man, two weapons and a slaughter in an Orlando nightclub.

Let’s take a minute to pray for those who died and those who were wounded, as well as their families and friends. Let them be in our thoughts.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Sometimes it's a great meal . . . Other times it's a meal with great memories

If we’re lucky, we have in our lifetime had great meals that we will remember for a very long time. Perhaps a fancy restaurant, or a new cuisine that opened a whole new direction in your foodie world. Maybe we can’t remember the exact meal or circumstances years and years later, but those special meals kind of rumble around in our heads, often popping to the forefront when we repeat a similar experience or setting.

I have indeed been very lucky. I traveled with my family to Hawaii and through Asia when I was 12 years old, dining on new and strange foods in strange settings. Of course that was strange (as in new) to a 12-year-old, but in reality, it was simply a new experience, a new view on not only food, but the people who made that food. So we had new things, like sushi, shark fin soup and various other things that, back then, sure were exotic to an American kid. Of course, that kid, much to the chagrin of his father, ran his fingers through the flames of candles in a Buddhist temple . . . One also remembers enjoying a Japanese dinner and in the side room some of the waitresses were enjoying their own meal . . . hamburgers . . . Really? Just thought it was funny . . .

Certainly, my life has been a bit (or more) too food centric, but food plays a role in a lot of the things we do, not only because of the food itself, but because of the memories we have of the meal . . . food . . . friends or family . . . an event.

Sometimes a great meal is made great not only by the food, but the place . . . Think future son-in-law’s bachelor party at the Peter Lugar steak temple, or several days in New Orleans with Lisa for a work event and dining at places like Commander’s Palace, Paul Prudhomme’s K-Paul’s Louisana Kitchen, or Pete Fountain’s jazz club.

While a product manager at E.F. Hutton, my assistant, Nicola, and I made it a point to hold a staff meeting (there were only the two of us) or a few at Nirvana, a wonderful restaurant overlooking Central Park in New York City. Nicola always got us a table next to the window and helped me wade through the menu filled with Indian delights . . . I had not much experience with Indian food, so a guide was very needed.

A vendor took me and Lisa to Jezebel’s in New York City, a delightful Creole/soul food/Southern restaurant decorated in an early 1900’s Louisiana plantation style, with wrought iron furnishings, porch swings and fancy crystal chandeliers, vintage posters and a warm, cozy atmosphere. We were hosted by a bank where Hutton had a few millions dollars in precious metals stored. One of our hosts was named Erin, which kind of steered us to that name for our Younger Child . . . We thought it was pretty, Irish-ish and was better than anything else we had come up with. Hey, Erin . . .

Sometimes, though, we have a meal that really isn’t all that fancy of great in and of itself, but somehow sticks in our minds . . .

I’ve enjoyed a burger alone at New Socials here in town . . . Dinner with Rebecca at Common Man . . . prime rib with mashed potatoes the last time (Fortunately she usually orders something I like . . . It’s a weird dynamic.) . . . Lunch there, too, with Erin . . . Kristin’s wedding at Round Hill . . . My two beautiful kids . . . Even just a sandwich here at home with them . . . It’s all about time. We catch it when we can.

Lone Star with friends again and again . . .Breakfast omelets at home and hand delivered to me and the Kilburns when Rebecca commandeered my kitchen on a visit . . . Or a special pizza that’s become a favorite when she visits to check on me and make sure I’m still breathing . . . (I am.) . . .

Sushi is often a favorite of mine . . . Sushi alone and enjoying the art on the plate, or with my sister and niece and enjoying the art on the plate and the company . . . Sushi with my former accountant and
enjoying the art, but not the sea urchin (sorry to all you lovers of the delicacy) . . . With Erin (who once misjudged the height of my truck when we went to pick up a take-out sushi order once) in New Jersey . . . Thanksgiving dinners, cooking the bird on the grill . . . Both girls laughing as I opened the umbrella on the deck and two bats fell out and flew away . . . I yelped like a little girl and apparently they enjoyed that very much . . . They still do.

Summer picnics at the Shakespeare Theater in Connecticut . . . Even canned chili for lunch at my parent’s house at Stratton . . . Those lunches with friends at the top of the mountain and in the Base Lodge were also fun. . . the bottles of Mateus didn’t hurt.

Or how about those Spam sandwiches at canoeing camp in Canada? We usually didn’t stop our daily travels to have a hot lunch, but Pete Morningstar (yep) and out counselors decided to stop and start a fire for a quick bite between long portages. That also lightened the loads we had to carry, so getting rid of a few cans was nice . . . Spam cans. Pete (our guide) started the fire and used a huge cast iron frying pans to cook slices of Spam . . . We took those charred pieces and slapped them between a couple of pieces of white bread and mustard . . . Damn were they good . . . We were tired, hot and sore from the portages and the paddling. It was a bright sunny day . . . I’m not sure I ever ate Spam after camp, but that day, whatever Spam is, tasted like the best meal ever.

When I was a writer at E.F. Hutton a bit more than 100 years ago, we'd been working on a rather arduous project and two of us decided to head to the small (very) diner at the lower level of 26 Broadway while we awaited final exec sign off on the job (an often arduous and political process itself). My friend ordered a cream cheese and grape jelly sandwich on raisin toast with fries . . . I seconded that and a picture remains in my head . . . flashing back more than 30 years. Freezing the moment.

Finally . . . hot dogs at the World Trade Center. I worked for Dean Witter for a couple of years and while we had a pretty good cafeteria, every once in a while a couple of us made the journey down the 72 stories from our offices to the street for some dirty water dogs from a vendor who also offered good sausages and homemade sides . . . Guess that’ll never happen again.

There are dozens of others . . .

I guess it often turns out that it’s not just the food, but who we’re with that makes some meals special. A place and a time. Every once in a while they get deeply etched in our heads. Time moves on . . . It’s relentless, and before we know it, those moments are gone . . . 

Thursday, April 28, 2016

In politics, generalities are easy . . . Maybe we should learn some specifics

We all love talking in generalities about things we hear or read in the news. We all do it, spit out our opinions based on what is going on somewhere else and someplace else. The world is a big place, and we can say whatever we wish from the comfort of our homes. But sometimes reality hits us head on, makes us sit up and notice that there are real people involved in, and affected by, all those laws and opinions we read about.

Here’s the generality . . . We’re passing and threatening to pass laws that will limit people coming into America based on their religion . . . We are threatening to deport immigrants . . . We are passing laws that allow businesses to aggressively discriminate against gays and put transgender people in dangerous, confrontational places (bathrooms . . . which new laws mandate can only be used by people “born” male or female and not by those who identify as male or female).

Here are some realities . . .

A friend of mine has been married to her husband for 13 years. Together they have 3 children, he works, and she owns a business. They own a home and 2 cars. He’s from Costa Rica. She’s American. For years he’s worked here, legally, with a green card, but the recent political rhetoric has caused them some concern. So much concern, that after some discussion, they decided it might be best for him to become a U.S. citizen, something they talked about in the past, but with a bit more urgency now.

Their recent discussions focused on concern that, for whatever reason, there might be a huge shift in immigration policy, a “reset” that might lead to deportation of immigrants here legally, or a shift in “legal” status that could also lead to deportations.

The end result is that he ended up becoming a U.S. citizen, passing the 100-question test that most of us couldn't pass. (Perhaps politicians should be required to take and pass that test before they can take office.) So the rhetoric makes immigrants, legal and undocumented, uneasy and often fearful of the future. As a country of immigrants, that should make us all anxious.

It is estimated that more than 13 million Hispanics will vote this year, compared with less than 10 million in 2008. 

Here’s another . . .

You could be in a restaurant and the waitress asks if you’re gay. Why? “Because we don’t serve gay people.” Do you answer? Tell her to bug off or tell her indeed you are straight, but your friend is gay . . . or that indeed you are gay, “Is that a problem?”

Frankly, it’s none of her darn business, but these new laws have created these situations. I would be livid if a friend of mine was ever denied service . . . let alone fired from a job, not allowed to rent an apartment or thrown out of a hospital because he or she was gay. Don’t laugh. There will be tense confrontations and lawsuits, court challenges and screaming politicians.


While children in America are going hungry, politicians are focusing their legislative might on bathrooms and selling wedding cakes.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

The awkward and hateful reality of "religious freedom " laws

So how does one deal with these anti-gay “religious freedom” laws?

Just how are they “enforced” or managed? How does a business “know” a potential customer gay and, thus, shouldn’t be served because being gay offends the owner’s religious beliefs? What happens if a business owner isn’t cowering behind the “religious freedom” curtain, but a waitress in the business says her beliefs prevent her from serving the gay couple at the corner table? Likewise, I would be angry if I tried to go into a shop with a Christian friend of mine and he or she wasn't allowed in.

Personally, I find the whole thing appalling and repulsive. That someone can deny service to another person because of his or her religious beliefs fits not even a sliver of what should be. Nobody should be denied equal rights for their sexual orientation . . . Why is this different from being denied service because you’re black, or Asian, or a Muslim, or blonde?

We are a large country filled with an equally large diversity of people . . . People of all colors and creeds, beliefs, lifestyles and faiths. Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, atheists, and on and on, fill America from coast the shining coast. (Let’s not even get into the variety of beliefs within a faith . . .) 

I fundamentally oppose legislation that purposely and aggressively discriminates against any group of people. We need sometimes to remind ourselves that we are not a “Christian” nation as some would have us believe, but a nation founded on principals of fairness and equality. And while a person’s faith needs to be protected (and is under our Constitution), that faith should never be imposed on others, or used as a weapon to discriminate.

It’s easy and short-sighted to discriminate against other people . . . Not so easy when you are the one being discriminated against. What happens if a Muslim opens a restaurant and won’t serve Christians . . . ? Imagine the outcry. Or maybe an atheist opens a bakery and won’t make wedding cakes for people getting married in a church? Ouch . . . Hear the screams of outrage . . . Turnabout is fair play, of course. Enjoy the comfort of you couch while you watch equality dissolve into a bowl of muck.

So if I go into one of these “protected” restaurants, say, how do they know or not know I’m gay or straight? If I’m gay and they serve me, is their God going to punish them somehow? A case of don’t ask, don’t tell? Do they ask if I’m gay? I go in with a friend and she’s gay, but I’m not . . . Do they serve me and not her?  Again, how do they “know” our sexual preferences? Do we pick up a letter at the hostess stand . . . “H” for hetro . . . “G” for gay . . . “B” for bi-sexual . . . “U” for undecided . . . or maybe “C” for celibate . . .

We pin the letter on our shirts? How awkward.

Either you run a business for everyone or you get out of the business. I don’t care. You make cakes . . . You serve sandwiches . . . You sell books . . .

I don’t want to go to your church and you don’t want to go to mine.

These “religious freedom” laws are fakes. There’s no threat to your religion because some random gay couple wants to buy a cake. People are people, whether you like it or not.

So-called “religious freedom” is just a high-profile part of legislative discrimination. All people should receive the same protections under the law . . . That means we don’t discriminate against people on jobs, hotels, buying or renting real estate, visiting sick loved ones in hospitals, or any other such nonsense.

It’s wrong on the face of it and it’s wrong on every level of exploration. Our politicians are creating false barriers and divisions that pretend to raise people up because of their beliefs, while putting others down because of their beliefs. If your religion prevents my friend from having lunch with me, then fuck you, I don’t care.

Monday, March 14, 2016

With nary a fact in sight, Trump's carnival heads towards Cleveland

It could all be over for the Republicans tomorrow, as primary voters head to the polls in Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri

A growing majority of Republicans are hoping there will be yet another chance to “stop Trump,” but their time has almost run out as the party that created him wrings its hands as he marches to the nomination.

Several things about Trump’s campaign are clear . . . The first is that the party should have seen this coming months ago. They should have seen this crisis in their ranks, the anger that Trump has been able to fuel to the boiling point. The fear of people and countries they see as the reasons for their anger and their job loss and their perception that nobody cares about their plight except Donald Trump. He hears them clearly and has fed each and every angry, fearful note possible . . . It’s all the fault of Mexican, crappy politicians, Muslims and stupid incompetent politicians.

Trump supporters cheer their champion’s outspoken, politically incorrect rhetoric. They cheer is “difference” from the usual rubber-stamped politics they see as ruining America. They see his fire and soak up his words like an old dry sponge sitting inside the edge of a sink. They love the fact that protesters “attacked” a Trump rally. They embrace his staged anger and cheer his “punch him in the face” screeches, because that’s what they want to do. In Trump, they receive the candy they so desperately didn’t get from the Great Satan of Obama, the man they see as “ruining” America.

What rabid Trump supporters see, however, is vastly different than what others see. Others see an ego manic fueling violence, hate and divisiveness. They see a candidate who has appealed to the worst of human nature. They see someone who has yet to outline any major policy positions, instead relying on short bursts of, “We’ll make America great again” or “Mexico will pay for the wall.” Ridiculous even on the face of it.

But the simple fact is that Trump’s supporters just don’t care.

Now, the protests, some of which turned violent, will continue, as Trump fans the flames more and more, simply because any protests harden his supporters even more. This not a man, observers say, who has shown even a sliver of presidential stature. So growing protests at what Trump calls his “shows” may embolden his supporters, they are causing earthquakes within the Republican Party.

Ted Cruz, who many see as an even more “dangerous” candidate than Trump, runs in second place, his far-right views alienating voters on a national level, but proving popular among a fairly wide swath of Republican primary voters.

Rubio? If he doesn’t take Florida, his home state, he’s done, his campaign turning into not much more than a large flash in the pan that never gained the traction it needed to excite voters and push through Trump’s circus.

Kasich must take his home state of Ohio or he’s done.

Though any predictions are probably at the least a dicey endeavor, there seems to be no reason to think that Trump can unify the party, let alone the nation. If he’s the nominee each and every word he has uttered is ammo for his opponent. While his primary opponents haven’t been able to dent the Trump tank, I’m not so sure that will be the case when we’re faced with the prospect of a Trump White House. Thus not only do republicans face the prospect of losing the presidential election, but also of losing its Senate majority, and possibly the House as well. At the least, the party will be seriously wounded.

If Trump doesn’t evolve into a person willing to take responsibility for his words (Can you imagine the outcry if Obama has said, “Punch him in the face” . . . ?) and threats to build a Mexico-financed walls, ban Muslims from entering the country, deport all illegal immigrants, eliminate a free press and a warped sense of first amendment rights that Trump feels only applies to him and not those who might disagree with him. (Please note that if you’re a Muslim already here . . . and a citizen who happens to be a Muslim . . . Trump wants to take away all your Constitutional rights. That, my friends is a war on religion.)

So here we are. It’s a process, and Trump has proved time and time again that a carnival barker can capture a large crowd with his barking if he’s barking what they want to hear. That’s the way it is, and we’ll see what happens not only tomorrow, but to the Republican convention.

If Trump fails to get the delegates needed for the nomination, there will be a floor fight, from which Trump will probably not emerge the winner. It’s a numbers game . . . and Trump’s opponents are playing prevent defense, hoping they can go into the convention with some delegates and come out as the nominee after a political cage fight. It’ll be an uphill battle from there . . . 

If Trump is currently polling at 40 percent, remember that is 40 percent of a party that now claims about one-third of registered voters. That’s 40 percent of one-third. That’s not close to a majority, and despite Clinton’s high negatives, I’m not convinced that a Republican candidate can beat her, let alone Sanders, in a national contest. Part of the ammo for Democrats will be Trump’s words throughout the primary campaign as evidence of where Republicans stand on some issues.


We march on.

Monday, February 15, 2016

We need to fire politicians who want to eliminate environmental protections

I guess I'm just an ignorant dummy . . . I don't understand the inner workings of a politician's mind. I always felt that one of the first goals of politics and government is to protect people. Kind of like a doctor’s goal of “do no harm.”

How then do some politicians rationalize that by trying to eliminate laws that make polluting the air and water and the very land upon which we live?

I hear and read the arguments . . . These regulations are too restrictive . . . too costly . . . too much government over-reach . . .

But those arguments focus on the short-term, not the long term. They ignore the big picture. Often that big picture means easing regulations now, usually to help and “unencumber” businesses. Does that make sense? If we lift restrictions, say on how drilling companies handle their fracking waste water, a toxic blend of water and chemicals, and companies can dispose of it however they please, then what’s to protect people in that area from being poisoned? Often companies will take the path of least resistance if they can, and that means they’ll dispose of waste as inexpensively and quickly as possible, as an example.

That’s because companies, as they should, are supposed to make money. Doing things cheaply, without being “encumbered” by regulations, means more money can fall to the bottom line. Fine. Unfortunately, it can mean the long-term cost of those business practices may not only be costly to the company, but to the air . . . or water . . . or land. If that happens, as we’re seeing with fracking, ground water gets polluted and that means people who once lived with good water now can drink or even bathe in what’s coming out of their faucets.

So while companies should, of course, make money, they also should bear the responsibility of their actions and policies. They don’t need to be handed freebies by government, or bailed out by taxpayers when they make errors, or when their businesses cause damage. BP and Transocean could have used a better and safer pump/well safety valve, but didn’t . . . That decision cost them tens of billions of dollars and killed 11 people. The blowout preventer valve they used had failed just prior to installation on the deep water well in the Gulf.

Similar, though not as devastating, accidents or failures happen every day . . . leaks and runoffs into streams, rivers and lakes . . . waste from fracking and landfills .  . . chemical dumps . . . air pollution from plants, and even runoff from farms and private homes. It all goes into the land, air or water and that means it goes into the things we eat, drink and breathe.

So while I understand some of regulations of these things might be considered by some to be “burdensome,” history shows that is political sword rattling, and doesn’t prove to be a challenge overwhelming or damaging to most businesses and business profits. Companies predictably complain that any “restraints” on their ability to do business as they wish will create a business environment that will destroy them. Businesses adapt, and adapt quickly. They need to do that to survive and prosper. Government change tends to be glacially slow.

So why do politicians continually challenge environmental oversight? As I said, I am at something of a loss. It’s one thing to be pro-business, but not anti-people. If politicians make laws that strip people of basic protections, like clean water and air, then what’s left? What’s happening in Flint, Michigan, is an example, except this time it’s the government that made bad decisions, overlooked and trivialized complaints and concerns from residents for well over a year, poisoning thousands of residents with high levels of lead.

Keeping people safe should be a primary focus of government at all levels. There need not be a conflict between the needs of business and the safety of the population at large. When I turn on my faucet, I should expect the water coming out to be safe to drink. The plant in town should throw stuff into the air that makes it unsafe to breathe, and the factory that just cl0sed should leave a chemical footprint that lasts for decades and costs millions of dollars to clean.

If politicians can’t keep us safe, then they should find new jobs. It’s up to us to make sure they don’t stay in office.


Monday, February 8, 2016

Medicare needs nips and tucks, then a roll out to everyone

Medicare, the government’s insurance program for people 65 years old and older, as well as younger people with disabilities, sets the standards for virtually all private insurance, but there are several big challenges within the system.

With some 50 million people on Medicare, a system they paid into when they worked, it’s a huge ($200 billion-plus) program. But it is far from perfect.

First, it doesn’t cover all medical costs. It generally covers 80 percent of allowed charges, though discounts often reduce the billed amount to less than that. Some things, like dental, are not covered. Prescriptions require a separate drug plan (Plan D), which is an additional monthly cost. Perhaps most importantly, there is no limit on out-of-pocket costs, so someone in the hospital for weeks, say, could easily have to pay $20,000 on a $100,000 hospital bill . . . and up and up. Most private insurance caps out-of-pocket costs yearly, often at around $5,000.

Also, each state has a supplemental insurance lrigram, which is designed to cover (in varying amounts depending on the plan selected) that gap between what Medicare pays and what an individual pays out of pocket. Unfortunately, each state has different companies offering the supplemental insurance and different requirements,, though the plans (Plans G, N F, etc.) are virtual the same (that’s mandated). In general, when one first goes on to Medicare, he or she can sign up for supplemental insurance and not be denied that coverage (usually offered by several companies all of whom offer the same overall coverage benefits). However, if one doesn’t add the supplemental coverage right away, then each state has a different set of rules and qualifications for the added insurance, so the rules change.

Some states allow all people to buy supplemental insurance, some require an underwriting approval (which generally eliminates anyone with health issues), and some offer a combination of both. New Hampshire only has one company offering supplemental insurance without an underwriting hurdle.

It’s expensive for those of us under age 65, but drops to half the monthly cost on the most complete plan after age 65. As with many of these programs, many companies (AARP/United Healthcare for instance), is not offered. As someone who is under 65 and disabled following an amputation (which is why I qualified for Medicare), it’s virtually impossible to make it through the underwriting process.
 
A national program would eliminate these state-to-state-differences, which would be a good thing for many reasons. First, it would offer the widest selection of supplemental insurance to the widest number of people and eliminate states that waffle on trying to legislate health care options within their borders. It would also prevent insurance companies from cherry picking from the 50 states and ignoring some states. So a national program would level the playing field.

If everyone was offered the same supplemental insurance programs no matter where they lived, it would level costs and slow increases.

Medicare for all?

Talk of a national health insurance program, often referred to as “Medicare for all” is clearly where we are headed, and it is, with slightly different approaches, where the rest of the world is as well. While we have the world’s most expensive health care system, our overall care falls somewhere in the middle of the pack.

National health care coverage without a state by state process would eliminate companies from cherry picking some states and ignoring others. (New Hampshire has stumbled since the beginning, initially launching a state insurance exchange with just one company, trying to move Medicaid to private companies and then killing that system before it got off the ground but well after people had signed up.) Make supplemental insurance options with coverage similar to what it is now.  Some people might not need the supplemental insurance, for instance higher-income people who can afford the 20 percent uncovered by standard Medicare.

Add supplemental . . . add foreign coverage . . . add maybe long term care . . . limit of say $1 million and can add to increase that.   Add dental . . . All can be “supplemental-type” add-ons to any national coverage . . . That’s much the way people buy private insurance now and very much like the way corporate insurance and benefit programs are presented to employees.

That way people get basic coverage but can add what they want and need and can afford.

Some type of national program is coming . . . It’s inevitable because the piecemeal system we have now allows to too many care and cost variations and leaves too many people uninsured, which means they often enter the system through the emergency room, the most expensive door for “regular” care. 

We’ll see more merger in the health care industry as corporations jockey for dominant positions in their fields . . . hospitals, pharmacies, and doctors . . . but don’t buy into talk about corporations suffering through ll of this. They won’t. That talk is like a coach talking to officials about a player on the other team . . . he’s just trying to set up the game to lean towards his team a bit.

By giving people more control over their health care and leveling the field nationally, all the while mandating coverage and acceptance of pre-existing conditions (one of the most important features of the Affordable Care Act) we can all rest a bit easier that we can pay for the health care we need and that paying for it won’t bankrupt us.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Beware the politicians who claim to embrace the Constitution, but only when it's convenient for them

Beware the anti-Constitutionalists, for they shall bend the truth to suit themselves.

Our democracy is difficult. It requires us to let people with whom we disagree rise up and scream ridiculous stuff we hate. Our Constitution tells us that’s what we need to do. Our Constitution tells us that no matter what your religious beliefs (or non-beliefs), we have to respect that and our government needs to be free of religious encumbrances. Our Constitution tells us “a militia” can have guns, but does that mean we can buy as many guns as we want without any restrictions?

In today’s world, politicians love to throw around the “Constitution,” as in Obama ignores the Constitution . . . or people talking about background checks are violating our Constitution . . .
Sometimes, politicians who claim to embrace the Constitution are the first to ignore it . . . Let’s ban Muslims . . . We’ve taken God out of our government . . . Gay people should be executed, or a marriage is only between a man and a woman . . . It’s OK to discriminate against people with whom we disagree . . .

Right now . . . with the caucuses and primaries starting, we’re hearing a lot of rhetoric, much of it hateful and spiteful and fearful, but not much about how that talk is often at odds with our Constitution. I guess that shows how fast some people are to embrace tough talk even if it violates our basic rights.

Are we really willing to keep people from entering America based on their religion? Do we really want to continually monitor and surveil places of worship? Do you want your church constantly under surveillance? Again, we're talking about American citizens who happen to have a different faith than you have. Citizens . . . Citizens who should be protected from such intrusion and bigotry by our Constitution.

Turn it up a notch by saying that Mexicans entering the country (illegally) are all murderers, rapists and criminals?  What’s impact of saying that on Mexicans (or other immigrants) here legally . . . or even U.S. citizens who came from other lands? (Gee that sounds like most of us . . . though our ancestors got in pretty much without restrictions.)          
                           
The right to bear arms? The Supreme Court has ruled that the right belongs to individuals, while also ruling that the right is not unlimited and does not prohibit all regulation of either firearms or similar devices. State and local government are limited to the same extent as the federal government from infringing this right per the incorporation of the Bill of Rights. (Wiki)

In 1939, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government and the states could limit any weapon types not having a "reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia.” (Wiki)

So any talk of “restrictions” on gun ownership as being “anti-Second Amendment” just really isn’t true, but I’m guessing that most people who shout about the Second Amendment haven’t read it or aren’t interested in finding out more about it. It always sounds better just to shout stuff nowadays and see what sticks. Fear sticks.

Our Constitution, in effect, tells us how to act as a nation. Combined with our other chief historic documents, like the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, we have a framework created by our founding fathers for a new nation emerging from under the wing of a dominant power. A power we rebelled against in our fight for independence that cost thousands of lives. But we still managed to defeat and forge a new country. Those documents don’t necessarily make things easier for us, and maybe with some things in an ever-changing world, they make it tougher.

But we can’t afford to lose sight of the bigger picture. Despite all the current political talk, we are a great nation because of our Constitution and the people that forged it. We speak freely, worship as we wish, elect people to represent us at every level of government, buy and sell property and change jobs if we wish, and even manage, at least in theory, to treat all people equally.

Some of that’s taking a beating now, and we’d best remember that, too, since it’s easy to discriminate against things and people different than we are, but we like to think nobody will ever treat us that way. Unless, of course, we feel it’s in our best interest to claim we’re victims of one sort or another.

It’s far from a perfect system and we have shown time and time again that we are anything but a perfect people. We’re all in the same boat, though, and while we sometimes like to think we’re special, everyone in that boat matters, and we all do better when we’re rowing in the same direction . . . as free, equal and thoughtful people willing to understand our history and not throw it out the window when it becomes inconvenient.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Cruz whacks Trump in Iowa, and Bernie rattles Clinton

Ted Cruz takes Iowa in what some are calling an upset, but insiders say was perfectly called by the Cruz staff based on their solid ground game and a successful campaign model tailored after Barack Obama’s 2008 run (which took much of its framework from the George W Bush run in 2000).

While Iowa is hardly reflective of the nation at large, clearly Cruz and his well-managed campaign picks up tons of momentum heading into the New Hampshire primary, where polls show Donald Trump still holds a commanding lead.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders locked in a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton after lagging by as much as 50 points a few months ago.

Republicans showed up in record numbers, which was supposed to help Trump, but instead turned out to benefit Cruz. Democrats didn’t pull record numbers (Obama did that in 2008), but it was enough to pull Sanders even with the establishment party favorite. While a win would have added to Sanders’ “rolling thunder” enthusiasm, one still has to wonder just how strong Clinton’s campaign is once one scrapes away the high-profile surface support.

As has been noted in the press, Iowa may be a launching pad for many campaigns, its population doesn’t reflect the nation as a whole, nor does it in any way guarantee a presidential win. Only three non-incumbent politicians won Iowa and went on the win the presidential election . . . Jimmy Carter (who actually came in second to “undecided”) in 1976, George W. Bush in 2000 and Barack Obama in 2008.

While Iowa is pretty vanilla, with a population that is 5.6 percent Hispanic, 3.4 percent black and 2.2 percent Asian (the U.S. as a whole is 17.4% Hispanic, 13.2% black and 5.4% Asian), the Cruz win will set the tone for the “extreme” conservative wing of the GOP. Whether that will play to a more diversified population remains to be seen. It hasn’t in the past. (LA Times)

Marco Rubio’s third-place finish gives some hope to the GOP establishment, but his flip-flops and dicey finances make him vulnerable to attacks both from members of his own party as well as Democrats.

Just how tough a game is politics? Remember that in 2008, Mike Huckabee took Iowa with 34 percent of the Republican caucuses (last night he got just 1 percent and ended his campaign) . . . Rick Santorum took first on the GOP side in 2008 (tied with Mitt Romney), but managed just 1 percent Monday . . . (Wiki)

I’m not sure Cruz will close the gap on Trump in New Hampshire. Trump’s WWE-like campaign (as David Brooks of The New York Times calls it) has garnered a lot of support here, but will the rise of Cruz and Rubio steal votes from him. Remember, too, that in New Hampshire, Independent (or undeclared) voters can vote in either party primary.

It’s New Hampshire, with the hot lights of massive media coverage and a Town Hall-based campaign process that will push candidates forward into upcoming primaries . . . and deliver the kill shot to other campaigns. Chris Christie and John Kasich need strong showings here to have any chance of moving up the GOP ladder.

It will all become a bit clearer February 9.

Friday, January 29, 2016

If the candidates were your family, here's who they would be . . . Drink up

If the current flock of candidates were family members, here’s who’d they’d be . . . (Fortunately, I don’t have any family like this, but I just know you do.) Gather ‘round the table for a family feast.

Donald Trump is that loud obnoxious uncle who arrives at parties 15 minutes late, wants a Scotch and soda, but only if you have J&B. “Four cubes,.”

Bernie Sanders always arrives early, asks for a sherry and then sits on the couch telling your kids stories of his wild days at Berkley, “When everyone was a hippie.”

Cousin Jeb Bush quietly sits in that corner chair talking to your college-age kid and encouraging him to study business because, “That’s where it is today. Not like when I was a kid and political science was the thing.” He’s a professor now at a small liberal arts college nestled in the hills of upstate New York.

Hillary Clinton is the aunt who never got married, never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend and you used to wonder why, until one day a couple of Thanksgivings ago she laid into your Dad for “Caring more about your old dog when you got married in 1976 than you cared about me.” She holds a grudge and is scary, so now you guess why you never met a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

Nephew Marco Rubio sips his Cosmo and brags about how he just “told off” the local selectman at a local planning and zoning hearing for complaining about a company he consulted with for wanted to building a plant in wetlands. He’s kind of the snot-nose kid who was always whining through junior high and then wondered in college why none of “his old buddies” invited him to join a frat house.

Uncle Ted Cruz says he wishes he fought in Iraq, but had to take a deferment because he had allergies. “But if I was there I sure would have set those Iraqi bastards straight.” He later served two years as a clerk for a judge and decided he’d go to law school “because then that would set the stage for my political career and look good on my resume.” “I’ll take a rye on the rocks.”

Poor aunt Carla Fiorina lost her husband 20 years ago and hasn’t forgiven him for that.

Then there’s Martin O'Malley, the friendly uncle who lets the party swirl around him, talking to your Dad and others quietly as the cocktail hour goes on, touching base with each guest and asking them how they’re doing without too much talk about himself. His second wife is 20 years younger than he is, so you figure he says all the right things.

I guess most every family has a Chris Christie . . . a boisterous first cousin who wants you to know exactly what he’s doing this week and why it’s very important. He runs an auto reclamation business and “has never let anyone get away with giving him any crap. I let them know just how stupid they are.”

You’re not sure, but you think your wife’s cousin Ben Carson may have taken a few too many drugs while in college. He’s very quiet, but makes sure to tell you the movie Predator was actually a documentary based on a book he wrote about the hottest summer ever in South America.

Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Rand Paul are brothers (your Mom's second cousins) who always sit at a side table drinking Merlot while they complain nobody pays any attention to them.

Your wife's uncle John Kasich wears a slightly rumpled grey jacket over a crisply pressed white Oxford tucked into well-worn jeans and seems happy drinking gin and tonics any time of year (“Could I have a little extra lime, please?”), though you have had a single malt or two with him over the years. He loves any part of the turkey that's left after everyone else has called out white or dark meat, bathes his mashed potatoes in gravy and lives near his old neighborhood in a multi-million-dollar house he had built after he sold his tech company 10 years ago. He never brags and spends every Sunday morning at a local soup kitchen feeding those who never had a tech company or live in expensive houses.

Jim Gilmore is your Dad’s half-brother, runs a construction business and can’t figure out why there are any government regulations at all. “Damn government does nothing but screw everything up.” He doesn’t know any gay people but doesn’t like them, and your Dad threw him out of the July 4 party last year because he started ranting about gay marriage. They still don’t talk much.

It sure is a gathering when they’re all here . . . Wives, husbands, kids and a bunch of friends. Mom always calls it a free-for-all, and I guess that’s pretty accurate. Personally, I love the gatherings, but I do try to spend a bit more time making sure we have plenty of booze before they all arrive . . .

Friday, January 22, 2016

My Politics: Where I stand, and 9 ways the current crop of politicians has lost me

I’m a 60-year-old white guy, former Wall Street vice president, one-time small business owner who grew up in a Republican household, raised by strong parents, including a father who ran a major corporation and a mother who gave up her professional life to raise two kids. I've voted for both Republicans and Democrats since I was 18 years old.

If there was ever a guy the Republicans should target, it’s me. But they’ve missed by a mile. I fear that a segment of the Republican Party is, in many ways, becoming dangerous as we head to the primaries. The world is changing and the dinosaurs are long gone, except in the GOP. 

The Democrats remain pretty much uninspiring as well, moving in and out of mediocre policies that seem more designed to pander to their base as much as the Republicans are pandering to theirs. The Democrats, though, have failed to fire up their base the same way Trump and Cruz have roiled theirs.

By nature, politicians lack courage, and nobody seems especially courageous here . . . just either loud or rather bland.

Here are 9 Thoughts . . .

First, I considerate myself a moderate, that dying breed of voter who feels comfortable in the middle of the road advocating lower government spending while also managing to think government does have a valuable role in America, even if politicians can’t manage to get out of their own way. I think one of the primary goals of government should be to "do no harm," so I support programs that protect people, water, air and our land.

Second, I do believe that politicians pander to the wealthy, have created and endorse an unfair tax system, are heavily influenced by money and lobbyists and often oblivious to the real-life issues facing millions of Americans. I do not believe we should move towards a “Robin Hood” tax structure where we take from the rich, but rather a tax system that honors, supports and lifts the middle class without penalizing people for their growth, success and financial well-being. That may mean tax breaks for education, increased retirement programs, better mandated health care programs and an investment tax system that favors long-term investment over short term trading (including a shift in how hedge fund companies are taxed).

Third, I think companies need to be penalized if they move operations overseas, and rewarded if they keep operations (and jobs) here. Companies are using mergers to move headquarters overseas to avoid U.S. taxes. Offer a limited time tax amnesty to bring tax money back here before eliminating offshore loopholes, then close the loopholes. Reward companies for building new plants here. 

Mandate that companies fully fund their pensions and retirement programs, eliminating those liabilities and better protecting older workers. Lower the top corporate tax rate to 25 percent (from 35 percent), but change write-off rules so companies can’t avoid paying any taxes.

Fourth, I fully support term limits for all federally elected politicians. What’s reasonable? Maybe 3 Senate terms (12 years potentially) and 5 terms for members of the House (10 years). In many cases corporations have mandatory retirement (usually at age 65) for their executives . . . Time to clear the hanger’s on out of Congress. It has been said that anyone spending more than 10 years in any given job has stayed too long. I agree.

Fifth, we need to reduce the money influence on politicians and shine a much brighter light on their contributors and the contributors to PACs (Political Action Committees) and Super PACs. We should know who gives what to whom . . . There should be no curtain hiding campaign financing or shielding contributors. Shine the light. I want to know who pours millions of dollars into political campaigns.

Sixth, I completely and unwaveringly support marriage equality. I have friends and family who are gay, and why on earth would I deny them the same rights and privileges I enjoy? Further, I believe we need to make sure all people have the same rights here . . . access to housing, medical care, non-discriminatory laws and regulations, etc.  If we continue to generate laws that purposely discriminate against certain groups of people, then that’s shame on us. (And shows our narrow-mindedness and belief that we will never be discriminated against. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes for once.)

Seventh, I do believe there is a war on women . . . both in the job marketplace and with women’s health care. Just look at the facts . . . continued failure to mandate equal pay for equal work to start, as well as the continued assault on Planned Parenthood. 

Why? I am offended that some old white guy in Washington can tell my daughters what to do with their bodies. Politicians’ never-ending attempts to put themselves between a woman and her doctor, including trying to mandate invasive fetal monitors . . . requiring patients to watch videos before considering an abortion, the closing of clinics and the constant attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, which would leave millions of people, mostly women, without access to affordable care. We need to move past these issues, and certainly older white mostly male Republicans need to move way off this issue.

Eighth, I simply don't understand why anyone would vote for fewer laws overseeing the safety of our water and air. I favor strong environmental protections, and point to the current crisis in Flint, Michigan, as a warning shot to ever bigger environmental issues. The fact that politicians changed the city water supply source, which in turn led to the lead exposure and poisoning of thousands of residents merely because they wanted to save money, and never tested the supply, is, one could reasonable argue, criminal. We have similar issues with pollution of our ground water supply in fracking areas and around mining regions. People have the right to demand their politicians keep them safe, and that includes making sure their air and water is safe. Politicians need to put their people first, before business interests that oil their political aspirations. Clean air, water and food supply.

Ninth, (and last for the time being), let’s not forget that politics is a contact sport and we need to make sure we’re part of the game. Write, talk, debate, use your brain and make sure you’re supporting someone not shouting the loudest, but who best aligns with your political beliefs. Don’t fall for easy answers and social media rants and “news,” but learn, follow, be critical and demand better.

So far, so disappointing.

Some of the Republican candidates make Barry Goldwater and George Wallace look like raging liberals, and while I might be able to warm to a couple of them, I choke on the right turn needed to make it through the bloody GOP primary gauntlet. The party is in trouble. They’ve lowered their own bar very low. These are not the "conservatives" of days past. These are fake conservatives more than willing to throw aside the Constitution while they pretend to embrace it . . . fake "conservatives" who shout a lot but offer little thought and insight. Too bad.

While Hillary Clinton is an option, her sense of entitlement, measured campaigning and inability to handle her email/server issues may overshadow her middle-of-the-road policy positions. She carries huge negative numbers. Barry Sanders is probably the only candidate, whether you agree with him on anything or not, who has steered the same course for years and years, seldom wavering in his positions and not speaking to impress and score points (though that’s always the goal when you need votes), but rather to spread his “every man” mantra. Might be interesting.

It’s “only” January, but the primaries and caucuses start soon . . . Virtually every pundit in the world thought Trump would implode well before now . . . They thought that it would happen in July . . . then August . . . It’s January and he’s not only still in the race, he’s well ahead of his competition. He hasn't said one thing that sounds like a policy, and people actually believe him when he says Mexico will pay for his wall across the southern border.

Wow.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Pizza . . . great party food and a crusty food delivery system

Pizza is the ultimate party food.

Oh sure, if you’re having a fancy pants party it may not do . . . better a more upscale spread, but a bunch pf friends over for  game, and pizza’s perfect. Now the thing is . . . what kind of pizza?

In college, we used to spend some time at The Depot, a re-purposed train station outside Oneonta where they served a great pan pizza, cut into square pieces with a pretty thin crust. Like most college towns, there were plenty of pizza places, though bars were the dominant business in town, so many you couldn’t walk a few steps without passing a couple of them.

Chain pizza joints like Pizza Hut and Dominos make the choice easy, though maybe not the best option when compared to the local joints. Let’s say they are the middle of the road pizza places. Pizza Hut does manage some pretty good wings. I’ve never had Papa’s or Caesar’s. With pizza, delivery is important and though Pizza Hut here doesn’t deliver, they do have a drive-through, so that works if you’re on the go. Dominos just opened a place here (they used to have a place in a different mini strip mall) and they deliver. I like that.

There are a couple of good local places in town, Ramunto’s, Out of the Ordinary, and Tremont Pizza. All have good pies, and Ramunto’s has one of my favorites, a chicken, broccoli, bacon pizza with caramelized onions and a Ranch sauce. It’s a go-to [izza order if Becky visits. (Her regular go-to is feta  . . . anything feta . . . and pepperoni.)  Tremont has a solid pie that I ordered for a group when I was at Valley Regional rehabbing. A few pies and patients and some staff gathered for a little get together. I liked that. As I said, party food. Tremont delivers in town, but not out where I am. Out of the Ordinary does deliver (and quickly) . . . pizza and a pretty full non-pizza-place menu.

My usual pick is a pie with pepperoni, onion and mushrooms. That’s pretty easy for most places and tough to screw up. As I said, Ramunto’s and their new Ramunto’s Fast Fire are both pretty good at showcasing specialty pizzas. A bit pricey, but good. One friend likes the old Hawaiian pizza option from a number of places with chicken and pineapple . . . Barbecue chicken pizza can also be pretty good depending in the barbecue sauce

When I lived in Greenwich, we’d often order a large Sicilian pie with pepperoni and extra cheese from Glenville Pizza. Great thick crust and perfectly cooked every time. It was an eat-in, pick-up place, and parking on the little strip of severely sloped pavement off the road was a bit hairy at times, but that pizza sure was worth it.

Pizza crust has become a big thing over the years. Apparently it’s not enough just to make good dough and crust, but now chains are packing their crusts with cheese or meat, lathering it with garlic oil or sprinkling it with oil and coarse salt. Thick, thin, really thing or hand-tossed pan pizzas are the norm now. They all have appeal depending on my mood, but more often than not, I end up ordering a thin crust . . . more topping stuff and less crust stuff . . .

Yep, no doubt about it, pizza’s a cheap fix even on an important date, or watching a game or filling the house with friends. Take your pick . . . There seems to be no limit to the options.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Here’s why you skinny people need us big people

I’m fat, and you skinny people need me.

I am the yin to your yang, your large human foil.

You need us because we make you feel better about yourselves. While many of us are insecure about our size, that helps us see things that you don’t. You need us because with one or two of us in your clique, we offer a visual and obvious physical difference to your perceived healthiness and physique.

That’s good, because even though your often narcissistic social media postings and activities offer an outwardly strong and confident self-view, we large people know better. We know that you are often insecure as well, and use those bold photos and posts to cover that, like the form-fitting spandex with which you encase your body.

You should be proud of your body. We live in a visual world, where our first look sets the gauges for our future interactions with that person, so your svelteness gives us a good first look. Your frailties and flaws take a bit longer to notice.

Ours are easy to see . . . We look around nervously when we enter a restaurant to see where we can fit, make sure there’s enough space between the table and seating in a booth, or glancing at the chairs to make sure they are sturdy enough to hold us without giving up the ghost, straining glued joints and dowels to the breaking point.

Some of us are actually happy and understand that being overweight is not a disease in and of itself, but a long series of maybe not-so-good choices we made. You, of course, don’t get that, because your egos don’t allow you to see that for many there’s a life-long struggle to harness our inner thinner person . . . We eat too much, often eat the wrong things, don’t exercise enough and hope we can get into our summer clothes when we change wardrobes with the season. Winter’s not so bad because we can throw on layers of large, bulky shirts, sweaters and coats.

There you are in your little too-short-shorts and advanced, high-tech fabric tank top, a touch too willing to take a selfie before you hit the beach, or track, or bike or gym. We often take photos of food.

But there is a sameness to us. While we’re a bit more aware of the world around us and better understand the many struggles people face, we both have emotional ups and downs, ebbs and flows. We may show it more, and you may turn away and not want anyone to see you flinch, though some of you have little understanding of human difficulties, since you feel you have none or have overcome those you did have.

You should be proud of that.

We’re proud, too . . . sometimes even about our weight. We may have lost a ton, but are still big, large, obese or fat, but we feel good giving away bags of too-big clothes, and even better when we find a couple of pairs of jeans in the closet that are a foot bigger at the waist than the ones we now wear. Those are little battles . . . and ones we sometimes fight over and over, which is why we have our “now” clothes, our “thin” clothes and our “fat” clothes.

It’s funny you don’t like watching “Biggest Loser” since here are a bunch of big folks trying hard to be thinner and more fit folks. It would seem there’s no pleasing you. After all, “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race” and others are filled with handsome, fit people. So even when big people work hard to get fit and do what you brag about doing, you get upset because you think fat people are getting praised for doing stuff you do every day. Get over it. They are on a journey. You’re free to go on your own journey so people can criticize you. It’s easy to be critical, harder to take the time and look beyond the obvious.

Of course we’re smart, focused and thoughtful, and that’s why we understand why you need us. We’re the fat girl in the group of skinny girls, the fat guy in the group of skinny guys. We’ll argue that showing skinny models to sell clothes is dumb because most women don’t fall into that size 0 to 2, that selling us 2 airplane seats is great because then we don’t have to hear your bitching or see your frightened glances as you check your seat assignment to make sure you’re not next to us.

That’s OK. We’re used to be fat-shamed on Facebook or some other social media outlet, even though that drives some of us to kill ourselves because it cuts so deeply. We may not always be comfortable with our shells, but many of us become comfortable with who we are. We should be a bit thinner and more fit, of course, and we should eat better and exercise more than we do. You can inspire us at times and can offer us guidance and inspiration, but drop the condescending, sympathetic counselling tone first. Understand the struggle.

So often it's not that your skinny or braggingly fit, but that you take on a condescending when you talk to us. We're not beneath you . . . though we are to some of you. Stop trying to counsel us.

I’d rather applaud some size 16 single mother in her sweats struggle to jog those last few hundred yards than some righteous bitch flashing her fake boobs in a sports bra at the local 5k starting line. That mom is on a journey.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Suicide . . . We need to better understand and commit more resources to mental health

You ever think about killing yourself?

Some of us have, and yet we are still here, which got me to wondering why reasonably “normal” people kill themselves. I understand mental disorders are often a major influence, and I am certainly no expert on any of this, but it always has mystified me, in a way, how people can think things are so bleak that they decide to end their lives.

We read every day about people shooting other people . . . but there’s really a suicide epidemic in the U.S., where some 43,000 people kill themselves every year. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S, with a suicide reported every 12 minutes. Over the past 10 years (to 2014), the rate of suicide has increased to 12.9 per 100,000 people in the U.S. (CDC)

In researching and talking to people about suicide, it seems clear that sometimes people just can’t see a way out of their trouble, or they feel their lives are over after a breakup and can’t see a future without their former love, or they’re bullied and shamed and can no longer take the abuse. Social media has brought issues of shaming and bullying into the homes and schools of millions of kids across the country . . . a relentless 24-hour stream of online hate and vitriol. (Reading about a young women who killed herself also prompted me to write this.) Seniors, especially white men, are far more likely to commit suicide than any other group . . . White men 85 and older have a suicide rate that is six times that of the overall national rate.

Interestingly, more than four times as many men (on average) as women die by suicide; but women attempt suicide more often during their lives than do men, and women report higher rates of depression. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in people age 15 to 24. (CDC)

In talking with suicide hotline people, a rise in drug use has added to the issues that make people feel trapped and unable to escape their situation. In talking to friends and family, that feeling of being “trapped” was seen as a major reason the people they knew killed themselves . . . Many of us have friends or family who killed themselves. That feeling of being trapped came up again and again in conversations.

For me, my first passing thought came when I was in the midst of a divorce, and believed that my failure in what was supposed to be the most important thing in my life was a complete personal disaster and the end of a life I/we had planned. That overwhelmed me. It would have been so easy to simply drive into a bridge abutment. For some people, those feelings never go away, they just can’t see past now . . .

I know I’m oversimplifying it all, (and not deeply addressing the many causes of suicide), but sometimes we just can’t see what’s going on with other people . . . A kid feeling trapped at home by his parents . . . or a young girl struggling with her self-image and being bullied because she’s a bit “different” from some other kids . . .The texts and postings never stop, whether she’s at home or out or in school, relentlessly driving her to the point where she feels there’s no escape . . . An older person depressed that their health is failing . . . A young girl struggling with an eating disorder wrestles with her body image, slips into depression and kills herself. While the light has better illuminated disorders like bulimia, now better addressing the underlying issues than a decade ago, we need to continue to look for the root causes of disorders like bulimia.

Some people with attention deficit disorders kill themselves in what experts call "impulsive" suicides . . . an apparent spur of the moment decision, adding to the difficulties in prevention.

I find myself troubled when I don’t have a neat conclusion as to why someone takes his or her own life . . . Why did a former co-worker of mine step off a train platform in front of a speeding train? Or why did a relative I remember as a great little kid take his Dad’s gun, go into the bathroom and blow his brains out when he was a teenager?

We’ve come a long way towards better understand some issues, depression among them, and yet we are still shocked when this happens simply because we didn’t see our friends or family members as being depressed. Years ago nobody talked about the burden many vets face when they return home. Now we better understand post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and have started to make sure we are counseling and intervening with vets and others to help them see a way back to a more normal life.


It’s estimated that 30 to 35 percent of the 2.7 million soldiers who have served since 9/11 (2001) are dealing with some form of stress disorder, brain injury or drug abuse and the impact on not only them, but their families is devastating. Some experts think it's higher than that. (HuffPost)

What we do know is we don’t know enough . . . We need to pay attention, be there always for our children and friends. I know that people who kill themselves often don’t understand that they are surrounded by people who love them and would do anything to stop their plunge into suicide if only they had the chance.

Our world is filled with people who struggle . . . Soldiers, kids, the elderly, your neighbor . . . We need to make sure they know we are there if they need us. Sit and listen carefully. Some of us may have gotten depressed or down, but were able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Others just can’t. Little signs can be cause for concern and we need to better understand those. 

We need to dedicate more resources, locally and nationally, private and governmental, to helping those people and showing them that they are living a life well worth living.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

We'd best wise up or we'll end up with an unqualified idiot in the White House

When did we get so dumb?

Why do we applaud when a political candidate ridicules a potential opponent for taking a bathroom break? Why do we cheer when a politician says he’d stop Muslims from entering the country? Why is it OK for politicians to rail against the persecution of one religious group and not the persecution of another? What good does it do to advocate the elimination of a health care system with no idea of how to replace it?

Oh . . . and on and on.

We’re dumb and lazy.

We cheer those things now that help soothe our fear, and often visceral hate for not only the current President, but also those who may be different than us. A black President, who has, despite proving to be a pretty moderate head of state, continues to draw the ire of Republicans on the right, often simply because of the color of his skin. No? Then please explain to me what policies, specifically, he favored that you oppose. Not in a rhetorical sense . . . but factually. In reality, and out of the political campaign disorder.

Many people aren’t happy with the Affordable Care Act, of course, in part because some saw their premiums go up and their coverage change. Yep, some premiums went up (as they always do with insurance), and some coverage changed. One of the biggest changes was that no longer could insurance companies drop a person because they get sick or prevent them from getting insurance because of pre-existing conditions. The ACA has enabled more than 8 million people to get insurance coverage, pulling most of them out of expensive emergency room visits. The program is far from perfect and should be nipped and tucked to broaden its base, trim costs and encourage not only more people to enter the system, but also encourage states and insurance companies to expand health care options and providers.

For those fundamentally opposed to any sort of national health care program, I’d remind them that Medicare is a single-payer program, and the one upon which most private insurance companies base their coverage. By taking down obstructionist regulations (like preventing coverage from one state to another or trying to limit expansion of the health care exchanges), the health care system will evolve into one that will offer better overall coverage to more people. We have had the most expensive health care system in the world but fall way down the list in overall care, (37th) well behind countries like Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and others, according to the World Health Organization.

It would be a mistake to tear apart a system without offering something better, and we need to look around the world and see what works elsewhere, not just assume we do everything better than everyone else . . . since that’s obviously not the case.

So let the facts speak . . .

We love politicians who say we have become weak, or an embarrassment around the world. That’s rhetoric. Tell me how. Then tell me what you’d do to make it better.

Specifically, not some “Well, we’d get the best managers in the world. I know how to get things done.” That’s not a policy or position. That’s fluff, designed to appeal to our dumbness. Offering no information or insight, just words meant to soothe us.

Moderation is hard to find amongst the GOP candidates this year . . . Banning Muslims (while apparently ignoring the Muslims serving in our military or other Muslim citizens), claims that Islam is not protected under the First Amendment, promises to ignore Supreme Court rulings that he (Huckabee) feels aren’t in keeping with God’s laws, carpet bombing Syrian cities to destroy ISIS, anti-science positions that include spreading anti-vaccine myths, opposing abortion without any exceptions, or returning to a gold standard that would be impossible in today’s worldwide financial markets, offer tax plans that give breaks to the wealthy and corporations but offer little consideration to the middle class, oppose equal pay for women or raising the minimum wage, and seem to have nothing to say about the nation’s growing economic inequalities.

So they make up fights where there really are no fights. Scream anti-government rants without any factual backing, and focus on addressing emotional or perceived problems rather than real ones.
But we’re dumb, so we don’t bother to scrape away at the claims and look a bit deeper. Politicians, particularly Donald Trump, has tapped into angry white America. While so-called conservatives don’t like any budget compromises, they ignore the past when Republicans controlled all three branches of government and raised the budget, deficit and overall national debt.

But now it’s blame, blame, blame.

Who will be blame when Obama’s out of office? Hillary if she wins? Sure, even though she’s a pretty mainstream politician, offering standard lines on Democratic issues and little in the way of off-the-path ideas. Bernie certainly has been consistent over the years, but will his “free college,” or tax plans draw much fire from opponents? Bernie the non-establishment candidate in a Democratic Party filled with establishment candidates, and Trump is a non-establishment candidate in a Republican Party filled with a cluster of non-establishment candidate who this far have been carving up the establishment.

In August, we wrote . . .
“Don’t shake your head, Trump is headed to the White House.”
“Fear of The Donald is tempering news coverage, and he's driving the Republican campaign bus.
 So we have Donald Trump, in part the result of a weak party struggling to find its voice, despite being dealt favorable hand after favorable hand. He rises out of a huge field that was said to be broad and strong. Trump, the polished chrome hotel guy, stands head and shoulders above the pack. He is outdistancing the herd by tons. He’s killing his rivals, whether you think he’s a serious candidate or not . . . he’s headed for primary win after primary win, according to the current polls.”

So we’ve stayed pretty dumb, soaking up the stupid rhetoric and ignoring issues that are important to all of us, like health care, jobs, the economy, taxes and a changing military.

I hope we can get back on track. Trump may be leading the Republican polling, but we’ll see how he does when the caucuses and primaries start. Will we stay dumb through the whole process, or will we start to demand more from our candidates . . . more of what makes a leader worthy of leading America? Right now we’re embracing candidates who are neither worthy of representing their once great party nor of leading this great nation. 

Saturday, January 2, 2016

An open letter to my shameful NH House of Representatives

This post is a little different . . . But unfortunately it's my reaction to a political back and forth here in New Hampshire that got too personal, which seems to happen way too often in today's political arenas. We elect these people to represent us, not stand up and talk about a female colleague's breasts.

The link to one of the articles, one of my Facebook comments, and my letter to the Speaker of the New Hampshire State House of Representative follows. I haven't written a snail-mail letter to a public official in some time, but this kind of behavior by our public officials (not just in my state but across the country), has reached a new low . . . or several new lows. 


On Facebook, I commented in this earlier . . . It's clear we need umpires in politics today who will put idiots like this in a penalty box when then say incredibly stupid things like . . . 'No disrespect but your nipple would be the last one I would want to see' to a NH female state representative colleague . . . or . . . 'If it's a woman's natural inclination to pull her nipple out in public and you support that,' NH State Rep. Josh Moore wrote, 'than you should have no problem with a mans inclantion [sic] to stare at it and grab it. After all... It's ALL relative and natural, right?'

Where the hell do these idiots come from? Do they not have wives, female friends and daughters? They should be publicly humiliated by having to stand in a public square and repeat . . . "Women are people, too, and they deserve to be respected." for 3 days . . . My mind is exploding thinking about how someone who claims to represent the people in this state could say something so ignorant.”


January 1, 2016

Speaker Shawn N. Jasper
New Hampshire State House of Representatives
107 North Main Street, Concord, NH 03301

Dear Mr. Jasper

I am appalled, embarrassed and angry at the recent comments made by Rep. Josh Moore and Rep. Al Baldasaro regarding women and would strongly recommend they be reprimanded and sanctioned by the House.

Their comments regarding Rep. Amanda Bouldin were sexist, abusive, ignorant and completely out of place in the public forum that at least presumes to represent the people of New Hampshire. There is no excuse for such comments and no excuse for their ignorance and Neanderthal-like attitude towards not only Rep. Bouldin, but all women.

The fact that they feel they said nothing wrong, is further evidence of their ignorance.

As the father of two adult daughters, how can I tell them we live in a world where they are treated as equals to any man when two of my State Representatives obviously don’t agree with that? How can I tell my grandsons that it isn’t OK for them to bully and speak badly to girls when my State Representatives do that? How can I encourage young people to be fair and open minded when my State Representatives aren’t? When my State Representative bring shame upon the entire political process by standing up in public and shouting down a colleague simply because she is female, how do you expect your constituents to respect you and what you do?

It’s no wonder politicians are viewed as immoral hacks focused more on their own narrow political interests than those of all the people they represent.

I encourage all members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives (and Senate) to take a step into the modern world and eliminate this kind of misogynistic attitude among our elected officials. These two men should be reprimanded, sanctioned and publicly apologize for their words.
It’s well past time when this type of behavior is acceptable.

I hope my State Representatives can move into 2016 with a better attitude and a less childish stance on issues that should be important to us all.

We’ll be watching.

Steve Brophy