Jon Stewart Catches Sean Hannity Falsifying VideoTo Make GOP Protest Appear Bigger

When there's a protest in Washington, DC, the numbers are usually inflated, no matter who is protesting, but this is way beyond an overestimation of people, it's a lie, not an inadvertent mistake. Why is this obvious? Because of the seasonal change you can see on the trees that goes from fall back to summer. Freaky!




Here's Hannity's apology

Time to Go to Work...

It was a good win for republicans last night. I'm Ok with that. But I'm not celebrating just yet. Because there has to be more than a shift in voting.

In the last presidential election, it was really difficult to tell the difference between republicans and democrats. I credit my sister for pointing that out to me. What republicans used to stand for, they gave up in terms of moving to the center politically, socially and economically. They spent money beyond belief during their tenure and as a result, lost an election for lack of definition of what they stood for.

So, Virginia, you have the opportunity to do something about it. Governor Elect McDonnell, I hope that you are listening. Please get focused on the real purpose of government, which includes safety and security, the economy and infrastructure.

On safety and security, let's give the localities the resources that they need to fight crime. Drug related crime is not decreasing, it's increasing. Rural as well as urban areas need people and resources to be able to fight and prevent crime. Give them what they need.

The economy needs jobs. In order to do that, businesses need tax reductions. Let's face it, government has never been a creator of private sector jobs. Isn't it time that Virginia had the leadership in place that is pro-business? What would happen if there were tax benefits for people to start new businesses (regardless of special interests) in order that jobs may be created? These tax cuts are way past due.

On infrastructure, VDOT needs a do-over. The roads need to be built or fixed, ice removal needs to occur during bad weather, and grass needs to be cut in the warmer seasons. None of this requires full-time employment. This can be accomplished with local contractors at a fraction of the cost, time and time to completion that it takes the state to do it. Put this in the hands of the people.

I'm glad that the republicans are returning to power in Virginia. I'll save my celebration when something is actually accomplished. Now it's time to get to work.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Palm Tree Jeans

Sunday's WaPo had a great article about sisters written by Deborah Tannen, PhD, my go-to sociolinguist who has written extensively about the way people communicate. I have read her books about communication in the classroom, workplace, at home with married couples, between mothers and daughters, and her latest book is about...sisters. As the youngest sister in a trio of girls, she had two women to compete with and trade clothes with growing up. Although Kim and I grew up at different times, I did borrow a pair of her favorite jeans she left at home and when they fit me years later I wore them, and subsequently lost them. I'm not sure why today of all days I remembered that. And, um, sorry about that (15 years later).

Whether you are friends or rivals with your sister, or somewhere in between, it's a link and a bond that is universal among many women. People are surprised to learn that Kim and I are so close but I don't think it's that unusual. We skipped over the sibling rivalry and infighting that most kids experience who are close in age. So, lucky us!

Keep Politics Out Of the Classroom

The president is scheduled to deliver a speech to all schoolchildren on September 8. The problem is that this is not a pep-rally, but an attempt to push a political agenda directly to our children. I read some of the comments yesterday that said conservatives should relax, that this message could not possibly be harmful. However, I wonder if you exchanged "President Obama" in the text for "President Bush" if there would be the same reaction. See what you think and whether or not our political agendas should stay out of the classroom. Here is the agenda:

Should the Government Determine Cybersecurity?

Check out what some senators have been working on this summer:

S.773

Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (Introduced in Senate)

SEC. 18. CYBERSECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY.

The President--

(1) within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, shall develop and implement a comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy, which shall include--

(A) a long-term vision of the Nation's cybersecurity future; and

(B) a plan that encompasses all aspects of national security, including the participation of the private sector, including critical infrastructure operators and managers;

(2) may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network;

Is this something that we are willing to defer to the government? Is private industry doing a better or worse job at protecting data than the federal government? And what is the real reason the government wants Complete Control over the internet? It seems to me that in times of national crisis, the interet is one the best tools for distributing possibly life-saving information quickly.

Just something to think about, again, in terms of our freedom and choices. Read the article here.

Financial Info and Healthcare

CBS has an interesting article today. It suggests that the IRS will be required to turn over all taxpayer information in order to determine healthcare credits. See the article here. Are they serious? I don't even like the IRS taking my financial information, let alone providing this openly to another organization, more people and using this to determine my healthcare credits. Keep your credits. If they want to help folks in need, there are other ways of finding this information. This is a privacy issue, or maybe privacy is something else that we are losing in this country. (See Section 245(b)(2)(A) of HR3200)

End-of-Life Care

We're back to politics, folks.

Now I'm not going to pretend I fully understand all of the nuances of the health reform debate but I do know that a lot of misinformation is swirling around the internet and TV talk shows about part of the not-yet-final House bill.

One of the big issues is end-of-life care. It's very important that patients, together with their families and doctors talk frankly about their wishes at the end of life. Let's talk about cancer for example. If a patient has gotten to the point where treatment may do more harm than good because the late-stage cancer can no longer be considered curable or even treatable, there are many options for palliative care and hospice care. Patients can live out their last days in the comfort of their home, not a hospital, with hospice care professionals coming to their homes to take care of them, and allowing the family to be with the patient. But it is the responsibility of the doctor to tell the patient that the options for treatment have run out so that the patient isn't needlessly suffering. That's the first step.

The House Bill touches on this concept of discussing end of life care, not government-sponosored euthanasia as many talking heads have said. The president of a cancer organization spoke about this issue. This organization is comprised not of like-minded politicians but of a multifaceted group of doctors who face end of life issues as a part of their job.

Sunday's WaPo included an Q&A with Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, an oncologist and former NIH ethicist, now Obama's budget chief, who clarified some of the confusion around end of life issues.

In addition, I hope the debate will seriously address the issues facing people in the scenario that I just described, so that we can know for sure not only how health care will be doled out to people in the United States but also can we can pay for the treatment of serious diseases like cancer. This is an issue confronting many people who believed that they had excellent care until they were disagnosed with a life-threatening illness and then went bankrupt trying to obtain care.