Look Straight at the Coming Disaster

Women on the Verge of Thinking has championed the cause of mental health for a long time and I agree that it is just as important as good physical health. Unfortunately, not everyone is comfortable doing what is necessary to maintain it. There is a stigma that comes with counseling or therapy, and I find that extremely disturbing.

Everyone needs a little help now and then. There are just some things that we aren't meant to handle on our own. When someone close to use dies or we dive head-first into some unexpected transition, it is important that we have someone to talk to. If you're not comfortable talking to friends or relatives, a therapist, counselor, or whatever you want to call them, can often shed some light on a subject you may be approaching from only one point of view.

When you know something life-changing is coming your way, it doesn't hurt to check in with someone who is not personally invested. There is no shame in seeking advice or consolation from a neutral party. It just may be what you need to take the next (or the first) step toward better mental health.

General Hospital Tackles Medical Marijuana

I've been glad to see General Hospital taking on more serious subjects. Since I've been watching (about 15+ years), their main topic has been HIV/AIDS, but recently a main character has been diagnosed wit lung cancer (even though she's NEVER smoked cigars or cigarettes) and she's been having a bit of trouble with all of the chemicals being put into her body. The chemo makes her incredibly sick, and in order to keep up appearances for her young daughters and to be able to function on a semi-normal level, she took to smoking marijuana (suggested to her by a friend). Though her ex-husband is using this as a ploy to take away her youngest daughter, the rest of the cast has been extremely supportive of this decision, telling her that cancer is a horrible disease, the treatment is as bad or worse, and anything she can do to make herself feel better is fine by them.

You can bet that medical marijuana is going to be an issue, however small, in the upcoming Presidential election, and if it isn't, the press and the politicians are just being negligent. Marijuana is not a completely harmless herb, but the adverse effects are well within the requirements specified by the FDA for anything Americans put into their bodies, and it's effects are far less than that of alcohol or smoking cigarettes.

Marijuana is especially helpful for pain in those with certain cancers, especially that of they eyes, and other painful conditions with limited treatment options such as Fibromyalgia (which my sister suffers from after 4 open-heart surgeries, 1 spinal surgery, 1 shunt, and several hearth catherizations, all due to being born with Tetrallogy of Fallot, better known as Blue Baby Syndrome), Multiple Sclerosis (which Montel Williams and my friend and mentor Annie suffers from), chronic back pain, and MANY other conditions.

Eleven states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ME, NV, OR, RI, VT and WA) allow medical marijuana for the treatment of various illnesses or side-effects associated with major illnesses, and many others are debating it. Whatever your opinion, please educate yourself on the benefits AND the risks, then form your own opinion. You owe it to those who are suffering daily and deeply.

Other Americans who are suffering daily and deeply include:
3,129 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
23,530 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Global Warming is REAL

Al Gore is being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize due to his work educating world leaders and the American public about the dangers of Global Warming through his book and movie, both entitled An Inconvenient Truth. This came not long after the State of the Union Address in which the President briefly mentioned that he's like Americans to reduce their fuel consumption by 20% in the next 10 years - a statement that local and national news networks all but ignored. No one, including the President mentioned the various ways to encourage conservation and discourage fuel consumption. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. Provide tax breaks for people working within 10 miles of their home or those using public transportation. Of course, this would require updating the public transportation system, extending bus routes, and planning future communities in a way that allows the people living in them to travel no more than 10 miles to work, school, or shopping locations. Of course, it would be even better if everything we needed were within walking distance, but that would be too much to ask.

2. Require better gas mileage for all cars.

3. Tax SUV's, Hummers, and trucks for personal use that require huge amounts of fuel. Offer tax breaks to those driving hybrids or cars using alternative fuels.

EDITED: Religious people all over the world have rejected the theory of Global Warming, including our President, who should be impeached for doing so. Since the planet was made by God, and we in God's image, many believe that we could not possibly do anything to destroy either. Religious leaders of all kinds have been rejecting scientific principles since the beginning of time. As conscious citizens, it is our duty to convince them that the care of our planet and ourselves is not only in all of OUR best interests, but it is most likely what God would want us to do (if she exists). And, wouldn't it stand to reason that if we ARE creatures of God and the Earth is her masterpiece, that we should take the best possible care of both?

So that Americans can continue consuming obscene amounts of fuel:
3,088 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq (this figure DOES NOT include soldiers who were wounded in Iraq but died of their wounds outside of its borders)
23,114 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

Is Bush an Idiot?

Linda Ronstadt has been quoted as saying that President Bush is, "an idiot. He's enormously incompetent on both the domestic and international scenes." The host of Scarborough Country disagrees. He contends that the President is simply inarticulate. Except when it counts. Like last night's State of the Union.

Did anyone else notice that he didn't stumble once? He seemed almost Presidential. As long as you didn't listen to the bullshit coming out of his mouth. Why is it that he can do so well with this speech when the others are such disasters? Is he playing stupid, or is he, as Ronstadt suggests, actually stupid? OR Will this inarticulate President simply come out some day (as SO MANY others have) and announce (with deep regret) that he had fallen off the wagon sometime during his Presidency and all of his blunders were due to drink? Because, of course, he can't be held accountable for his actions if his thinking was impaired. After all, alcoholism is a disease.

Either way, his public (and more likely his private) gaffes have effected diplomatic relations both here and abroad. No one wants to be seen with our dear leader. Who willingly invites a PR nightmare into their midst? Republicans are jumping ship left and right. And you have to ask yourself, why is this man still President?

3,063 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
23,114 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

The Seventh Generation

The Iriquoi people believed that with action you must consider it's impact on the next Seven Generations. Every major decision should be made that way. Hell, even the minor ones should be made with the future in mind. Things as small as the kind of laundry and dishwashing detergent you use have huge impacts on the environment immediately around you as well as on the world as a whole. Even if you don't believe in Global Warming (though if you don't, you're insane), you have to know that the oil from your car and the chlorine you put into your pool make it back into the water supply. UPDATE: Tonight on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams the Global Warming claim was put to rest "once and for all" with a statement from the meterologist that we are just in an "El Ninno" weather pattern and it will be getting cold soon. He forgot to mention that even when it does "get cold" temperatures will still be at record highs, the ice shelf will still be melting and polar bears will still be drowning.

Let's think about the impact this war will have on our next seven generations. Our children are watching us. They see how we respond to minor threats, and how we refuse to response to major ones. Are we teaching them anything useful by continuing to fight? What about what we're teaching them by dismissing corruption in our government with the phrase, "Everyone's doing it." Would we accept that kind of excuse from our children? Our mission in 2007 is to ensure that at the end of it our children are better off than they were at the start of it. What are YOU going to do?

If you are an American Soldier and you want to register as a Conscientious Objector, visit Peace-Out before you end up like one of these people:

3,004 US Soldiers killed in Iraq - How has the loss of their lives helped our country?
22,565 US Soldiers wounded - How will the cost of their care effect our children?

What's Your Number?

If you have traveled internationally lately, you have a number you don't know about. It was assigned to you by federal agents and the ATS (Automated Targeting System) based on your in-flight meal, seat preference, where you're from, your motor vehicle records, and other factors. This number is designed to give airport security an at-a-glance view of who they should be watching, frisking, denying the right to travel, etc... But don't worry - privacy advocates are on it, just like they were on the Patriot Act and the mandatory fingerprinting at Disney. Secure Flight, a similar program designed for domestic travel, has been banned by the courts until it can be proven that it is accurate and private. These numbers are not made available to the people they're assigned to, nor is there any way to know whether you have been assigned one at all.

We are quietly losing our civil liberties and no one seems to care. People just allow these things to happen without question, though President Bush and his Administration have used every trick in the book to make these things happen without arousing any suspicion from the public. Is anyone watching? Why isn't the media calling attention to these things? Why aren't more people calling for impeachment? The more I watch the news, the more I see a clear conservative bias. The liberal media is dead - if it ever existed at all.

2,888 US Soldiers dead
21,921 US Soldiers wounded

Your Best Weapon

In our consumerist society money is the best weapon you have against whatever it is you have chosen to fight. People tend not to use it because of the convenience. Who cares if Wal-Mart is exploiting its workers? As long as they have low prices, people will continue to shop there. Well, not I! In America your money is an extention of who you are. Marketing companies figured out years ago that what you buy says a lot about your lifestyle. What the majority of Americans haven't figured out yet is that where you shop is equally as important. If a corporation you give money to, even through purchases, supports a particular cause, you are giving money to that cause whether you agree with it or not. Unfortunately, many Americans are too lazy to research these companies and decide how comfortable they are about buying clothes that were made in a 3rd world sweat shop or food that has so many antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides in it that the flavor has to be replaced with artificial substances.

Even if you don't have the time or patience to only patronize establishments that support all of your pet causes, you CAN choose one or two that are most important. If you support domestic partnerships for homosexuals, don't buy gas from Exxon or contribute to the Salvation Army. If you are anti-Mormon, stay away from your local Albertsons or ACME, and keep your son home from Boy Scouts. If you support independent artists, step away from the Jessica Simpson CD and buy your music online. If you think not enough people are speaking up or speaking out, make sure you buy tickets to see political comics, buy books by authors who are trying to tell the truth, and get your news online.

Donate to THIS cause because:
2,879 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
21,778 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

Who Won?

I originally started this blog because I was fed up with the Republican Administration and I needed an outlet for my anger and frustration. Over the past two years I have learned that the Republicans and Democrats are not all that different. This election day I was disappointed to find that I was right. The American people elected Democrats who are opposed to gay marriage, who are anti-abortion, etc... Even Tom DeLay agrees that the Democrats didn't win, the Republicans lost. Democrats are really just govern with a more sensitive imperialism, but there were some "wins" for those of us who have been begging to get out from under the thumb of Lord Bush and his Cabal. As 200 Socialist members of the European Parliament said in an unprecedented joint statement, "this is the beginning of the end of a six-year nightmare for the world." The American people seem to agree, as Democrats now control the House, the Senate, and a majority of state Governorships. Someone might even call for impeachment!

This election day was also a win for diversity. Hopefully this election day was a win for women. Nancy Pelosi will take over as Speaker of the House, a mere two seats away from the Presidency. If we're luck, this will open minds and prepare people for more women running for high-level positions in government. It's a long time coming, but it is coming. Minnesota elected the first Muslim to the US House of Representatives (Keith Ellison), and Massachusetts has elected the first African American Governor since reconstruction (Deval Patrick). Perhaps the best news was the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, most likely for this reason:

2,843 US soldiers killed in Iraq
21,572 US soldiers wounded in Iraq

They're Gay, Stupid, or Both

Last week New Jersey decided that homosexuals have the the same domestic rights as the rest of us, which is great because now their former Republican governor (Tim McGreevey) can live the life he had been denying for so long. After the Foley scandal and now Ted Haggard, I'm beginning to wonder if all Republicans in government are just hiding the flames coming out of their asses - not that there's anything wrong with being gay, it's just nice if you admit to it (and stop trying to legislate against it). Soon instead of saying someone's "a little light in the loafers" we'll all say, "He's a little Republican." Additionally, why does anyone feel bad that these guys are having their personal lives brought into the campaign? Wouldn't it be better to ask why they're so insensitive to a topic or a group of people they're so familiar with?

In funnier news, Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) said that an employee of his opponent, "unfortunately ate a banana laced with marijuana and had to go to the hospital." Seriously. That's what he said. This presents several problems. First, how, exactly, do you lace a banana with marijuana? My husband and I spent a good deal of time trying to figure that out. Second, why would you eat a banana that had already been peeled? Bananas are like condoms. When you see the wrapper, you pretty much assume that you're the first one to get there. Third, do you have any idea how much THC it would take to actually send someone to the hospital? The banana would have to be pure THC. It would keep you regular, but you'd forget where the bathroom was.

It seems to me that the Republicans (of all sexual orientations) are getting a little nervous about the election. Maybe it's because of these numbers:
Two thousand, eight hundred and twenty two US Soldiers won't be voting in next week's elections.
Twenty one thousand, four hundred and nineteen US soldiers have been wounded in Iraq
Possibly over six hundred thousand Iraqis killed
Does it have more impact if I SPELL IT OUT for you???

Something to Run On

On the day that the National Intelligence Estimate went public stating that the war in Iraq has created more Islamic radicals, former President Bill Clinton criticized Fox News for not being a balanced news source. He had been asked if he had done enough to fight terrorism and before saying no, he chastised the commentator for not asking the same question of President Bush and his Adminsitration, who had done NOTHING to fight or acknowledge terrorism in the 8 months they were in office prior to 9/11. President Clinton also explained that he had tried to kill Bin Laden, that he had authorized the CIA to do so if possible, and ended the interview by criticizing the small number of troops in Afghanistan looking for the actual mastermind of 9/11 and the overblown importance placed in Iraq.

By making these statements publicly, Former President Clinton gave the Democrats, including his wife, something to run on. Though he is nearly invincible politically at the moment, he showed the Democrats that not only is it okay to have a backbone, it's actually preferred to the wishy-washy, fake, no-substance answers we have been hearing for the past 6 years. I hope that the Democrats finally start standing up and hitting back on these issues, especially since they have the political and moral upper-hand. All we need now are impeachment proceedings.

2,711 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
20,486 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DEMAND THAT THIS ENDS??? or at least that we be told why this was begun?