Sylvia and I are reading Barbara Ehrenreich's new book, "This Land is Their Land," and in doing a bit of research, I came across this book review. Just a week before the Democratic Convention, I think it's a worthwhile read. Let's be careful we don't repeat the mistakes of the "Great Society" era and expect Barack or the government to fix all our problems. We created this mess and it's going to take all of us to get
Arts & Culture | Book Review
One Brief Shining Moment
Two historians explain how liberals went from top dog to toxic
by Robert Sommer | July 25, 2008
This article was published in the July 28, 2008, edition of The New York Observer.
The Liberal Hour: Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s
By G. Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot
The Penguin Press, 422 pages, $27.95
These days "liberal" is a word rarely used as anything but a pejorative in American politics. In the 1960s, however, it was the dominant political philosophy in Washington. President Lyndon B. Johnson ran his election campaign in 1964 as a liberal against archconservative Senator Barry Goldwater and won in a landslide. There were overwhelming Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress and a solid Supreme Court majority led by Chief Justice Earl Warren that viewed itself as a liberal, activist vanguard. Perhaps most important, the American public was urging government action in a wide variety of areas.
Given everything liberals had going for them, what went wrong? It’s a question that G. Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot do a fine job of answering in The Liberal Hour: Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s.
America was a nation in transition during that decade. The growth of the suburbs at the expense of cities changed the face of politics as the country’s economy was shifting from manufacturing to service. At the same time, "Americans became more concerned with the quality of their lives, not just the quantity of their incomes. They wanted clean air … clean water … safer vehicles. Only government, they soon learned, could be counted on to meet these new needs," the authors write.
The Kennedy and Johnson administrations were ready to help. John Kennedy set the agenda: He changed the outlook of the country from conservative to liberal. Johnson made sure the assassinated president’s vision was fulfilled. L.B.J.’s Great Society achievements included Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, voting rights, pollution control, higher-education funding and the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also got Congress to pass a huge tax cut. It was an impressive display of executive power. And the Warren Court was ready to back him up.
This was a time when government officials were associated with the best and the brightest. In fact, as Messrs. Mackenzie and Weisbrot note, "By the 1960s the federal bureaucracy had become a thriving center of knowledge and expertise."
Liberals were on top—and yet it all collapsed so quickly. Indeed, we’re talking about the liberal hour—not era—though many of the programs still exist. Explaining the collapse is where the authors, who are both professors at Colby College, are at their best. The easy reason is the Vietnam War, but Messrs. Mackenzie and Weisbrot go much deeper, and their conclusions should be required reading for Democrats who are thinking of what they can achieve if they win the White House and large Congressional majorities this November.
The authors write that Johnson was devastated "when the intended beneficiaries of his policies seemed so ungrateful for his efforts. But he asked for it by promising more than he or any other government could deliver." Unfortunately, the experts in government didn’t know as much as they thought they did about how to fix problems, according to the authors: "Liberalism had come to be associated in the public mind not with its intentions but with its excesses and shortfalls."
The difficulty in solving problems led liberal support groups to fight with one another, especially after Johnson decided not to run for a second full term. Coupled with the protests against the war, the liberal bloc split apart among the candidates running to replace L.B.J. The struggle was highlighted for all to see at the 1968 Chicago Democratic convention, where police brawled with protesters outside the convention hall and delegates fought each other inside.
VICE PRESIDENT HUBERT H. Humphrey eventually won the nomination without competing in a single primary, much to the displeasure of supporters of Senator Eugene McCarthy. The Democratic disintegration accelerated when Alabama Governor George C. Wallace split from the party, ran as an independent candidate for president and won five states and 46 electoral votes.
By 1972, liberals’ revulsion with the manner in which the party bosses picked Humphrey changed the way Democrats chose their presidential nominee. More emphasis was put on winning factional support from liberal special-interest groups without maintaining the organizational ability of the bosses to keep things in line. The liberal hour was over.
But it wasn’t just internal problems that ended the liberals’ reign. The authors correctly note that conservatives built on the foundation established by Goldwater and exploited the public’s increasing distrust of government. The Great Society became the basis for what Republicans began to label, with punishing effect, the Democrats’ culture of tax and spend. Liberals became politically radioactive.
In due course, the liberal hour was replaced by the Reagan generation, which only now seems to be splitting apart.
Robert Sommer is president of the Observer Media Group. He can be reached at rsommer@observer.com
Monday, August 18, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
Warner-Lieberman Dead!
Hooray! Over 350,000 signatures were delivered to the Senate and something worked. The bill died in the Senate today and Harry Reid said they'd try again next year. That means that we have a year to let our Senators and members of Congress know what we would really like to see in an energy bill.
NUCLEAR
SOLAR
CLEAN COAL
Those three things would make a huge difference. I also wish someone would publicize the industries and/or companies that are the worst offenders when it comes to carbon emissions. Then we could boycott those industries/companies. Find a way to give an incentive to those companies who "go green."
Also, I'm going to try to buy products that are sold in glass containers, not plastic. It's another small step toward freeing ourselves from being petroleum gluttons.
Let me know what you're doing to make Congress accountable again!
Be safe.
NUCLEAR
SOLAR
CLEAN COAL
Those three things would make a huge difference. I also wish someone would publicize the industries and/or companies that are the worst offenders when it comes to carbon emissions. Then we could boycott those industries/companies. Find a way to give an incentive to those companies who "go green."
Also, I'm going to try to buy products that are sold in glass containers, not plastic. It's another small step toward freeing ourselves from being petroleum gluttons.
Let me know what you're doing to make Congress accountable again!
Be safe.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Warner-Lieberman Bill
I have signed a petition to ask that Congress not pass the Warner-Lieberman bill. It's not that I'm against trying to do something about global warming, it's that I do not think the bill goes far enough.
Here are four suggestions that would have an immediate impact on the energy problem and carbon emissions. I would appreciate comments telling me if there is a fatal flaw in these suggestions.
1. MAKE SOLAR ENERGY MORE AVAILABLE. When we lived in New Jersey, the gas company loaned us the money to upgrade our heating/cooling system to be more efficient. The loan was at a very low interest rate and the savings probably paid for the system within 5 years. If our energy company, or the state, or the federal government would provide a low-interest loan (not another damned tax break - we retired folks don't pay any taxes anyway!) to help pay for the installation of solar panels, the savings on our electric bill (maybe $100/month) would encourage more people to purchase these systems. The government may even have to subsidize solar energy for a while, just like they subsidize mass transit. If more people wanted to buy solar panels, more companies would get into the business, more jobs installing these systems would become available, and innovation would eventually mean that the cost would go down. We just need to get the ball rolling.
2. DON'T DO ANYTHING TO ARTIFICIALLY LOWER THE PRICE OF GASOLINE. In Europe, the price of gas has always been about twice what it was here, and guess what? They have lots of public transportation, trains that run everywhere, people staying healthy riding bicycles, etc. If there were more demand for mass transit, there would be more incentive for communities to supply it. But if gas is cheap, people will drive. Auto makers will provide a product if everyone stops buying those gas-guzzlers. We saw lots of Smart Cars in Europe 18 months ago!
3. INSIST ON SCRUBBERS FOR COAL-FIRED PLANTS. I don't know very much about this, but Ron says that coal-fired plants can be made to run clean and the carbon they emit can be captured and stored or a use can be developed for it rather than it being released into the atmosphere. The Warner-Leiberman bill is supposed to be about global warming, but they don't even mention things like this.
4. TELL CONGRESS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD NUCLEAR PLANTS. I've heard that it takes something like 15 years to get all the approvals to build a nuclear plant. That's simply ridiculous! Scream and yell to fix that problem!
Here's a quote from an article about the bill:
"Both reports also say a climate bill could lead people to drive less, which would lower demand and therefore the price of gas." The present price of gas is leading people to drive less and perhaps we'll see some effect in a few months. At the very least, there won't be as many trucks and SUVs on the roads.
I hope that our presidential candidates are watching shows like the recent CNN special about countries that freed themselves from dependence on foreign oil many years ago. It's hard to believe that we didn't see this coming and do something a long time ago.
But all the news is not bad. Here's an article I found that may give us a little hope.
OIL'S PERFECT STORM MAY BLOW OVER
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Last Updated: 1:23am BST 25/05/2008
The perfect storm that has swept oil prices to $132 a barrel may subside over the coming months as rising crude supply from unexpected corners of the world finally comes on stream, just as the global economic downturn begins to bite.
The forces behind the meteoric price rise this spring are slowly receding. Nigeria has boosted output by 200,000 barrels a day (BPD) this month, making up most of the shortfall caused by rebel attacks on pipelines in April.
Why oil could soon come barrelling down
Keep the motors running: increased oil production from countries such as Brazil, Sudan and Azerbaijan is helping satisfy rising global demand for the fossil fuel
The Geneva consultancy PetroLogistics says Iraq has added 300,000 bpd to a total of 2.57m as security is beefed up in the northern Kirkuk region.
"There is a strong rebound in supply," said the group's president Conrad Gerber.
Saudi Arabia is adding 300,000 bpd to the market in response to a personal plea from President George Bush, and to placate angry Democrats on Capitol Hill - even though Riyadh insists that there are abundant supplies for sale.
I came across this. too, and thought it worth passing on.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.
--William J. H. Boetcker, 1916
Here are four suggestions that would have an immediate impact on the energy problem and carbon emissions. I would appreciate comments telling me if there is a fatal flaw in these suggestions.
1. MAKE SOLAR ENERGY MORE AVAILABLE. When we lived in New Jersey, the gas company loaned us the money to upgrade our heating/cooling system to be more efficient. The loan was at a very low interest rate and the savings probably paid for the system within 5 years. If our energy company, or the state, or the federal government would provide a low-interest loan (not another damned tax break - we retired folks don't pay any taxes anyway!) to help pay for the installation of solar panels, the savings on our electric bill (maybe $100/month) would encourage more people to purchase these systems. The government may even have to subsidize solar energy for a while, just like they subsidize mass transit. If more people wanted to buy solar panels, more companies would get into the business, more jobs installing these systems would become available, and innovation would eventually mean that the cost would go down. We just need to get the ball rolling.
2. DON'T DO ANYTHING TO ARTIFICIALLY LOWER THE PRICE OF GASOLINE. In Europe, the price of gas has always been about twice what it was here, and guess what? They have lots of public transportation, trains that run everywhere, people staying healthy riding bicycles, etc. If there were more demand for mass transit, there would be more incentive for communities to supply it. But if gas is cheap, people will drive. Auto makers will provide a product if everyone stops buying those gas-guzzlers. We saw lots of Smart Cars in Europe 18 months ago!
3. INSIST ON SCRUBBERS FOR COAL-FIRED PLANTS. I don't know very much about this, but Ron says that coal-fired plants can be made to run clean and the carbon they emit can be captured and stored or a use can be developed for it rather than it being released into the atmosphere. The Warner-Leiberman bill is supposed to be about global warming, but they don't even mention things like this.
4. TELL CONGRESS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD NUCLEAR PLANTS. I've heard that it takes something like 15 years to get all the approvals to build a nuclear plant. That's simply ridiculous! Scream and yell to fix that problem!
Here's a quote from an article about the bill:
"Both reports also say a climate bill could lead people to drive less, which would lower demand and therefore the price of gas." The present price of gas is leading people to drive less and perhaps we'll see some effect in a few months. At the very least, there won't be as many trucks and SUVs on the roads.
I hope that our presidential candidates are watching shows like the recent CNN special about countries that freed themselves from dependence on foreign oil many years ago. It's hard to believe that we didn't see this coming and do something a long time ago.
But all the news is not bad. Here's an article I found that may give us a little hope.
OIL'S PERFECT STORM MAY BLOW OVER
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Last Updated: 1:23am BST 25/05/2008
The perfect storm that has swept oil prices to $132 a barrel may subside over the coming months as rising crude supply from unexpected corners of the world finally comes on stream, just as the global economic downturn begins to bite.
The forces behind the meteoric price rise this spring are slowly receding. Nigeria has boosted output by 200,000 barrels a day (BPD) this month, making up most of the shortfall caused by rebel attacks on pipelines in April.
Why oil could soon come barrelling down
Keep the motors running: increased oil production from countries such as Brazil, Sudan and Azerbaijan is helping satisfy rising global demand for the fossil fuel
The Geneva consultancy PetroLogistics says Iraq has added 300,000 bpd to a total of 2.57m as security is beefed up in the northern Kirkuk region.
"There is a strong rebound in supply," said the group's president Conrad Gerber.
Saudi Arabia is adding 300,000 bpd to the market in response to a personal plea from President George Bush, and to placate angry Democrats on Capitol Hill - even though Riyadh insists that there are abundant supplies for sale.
I came across this. too, and thought it worth passing on.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.
--William J. H. Boetcker, 1916
Friday, May 16, 2008
Update
I haven't updated this for a long time - just not that much to say, I guess.
Best thing lately is that someone chose one of my photographs to use on a website. The photo is on Flicker and is one I took of the Oregon Coast. Here's the website if you want to look at it: http://archaeology.about.com/od/pathroughpd/qt/pacific_coast_m.htm
Have finally quit my job at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Was there for almost 8 years. I am now taking care of Sarah and Kurt's baby boy, Charlie. He's 4 months old and the best little baby ever. He never fusses unless he's tired and then a few pats and some shushing puts him right out. I go over to Sarah's (which is less than a mile away) and spend some time there in the mornings, usually let him nap there. Then when he wakes up, we come home and spend the rest of the day here. I get a lot more done at home and may even start cooking again! It's really kind of fun to take care of a baby when it's your job and you're not trying to do everything else a woman needs to do at the same time.
We're trying to figure out what to do to deal with the gas prices, food prices, and our electric bill with summer coming on. I found this web site called Gas Buddy which will find the cheapest gas in your area for you. The link is shown on the left. It's a good thing, as Martha always says.
I guess we all learn to stay home and enjoy our families. Learn to play board games again. Go in the back yard and play horseshoes. I feel sorry for those people who have a pool now because it's so expensive to keep up. Ron and I have started doing jigsaw puzzles and you can eat up a lot of time with one of those. If you're interested, buy them on ebay and then resell them when you're done.
Have moved the computer out to the kitchen because we're re-doing the office. We took down the shelves we put up when we first moved in here seven years ago, and are going to buy some other furniture for that room that will make it more comfortable for guests. So, I'm kind of liking this new location and maybe will use my Mac more.
Later,
Best thing lately is that someone chose one of my photographs to use on a website. The photo is on Flicker and is one I took of the Oregon Coast. Here's the website if you want to look at it: http://archaeology.about.com/od/pathroughpd/qt/pacific_coast_m.htm
Have finally quit my job at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Was there for almost 8 years. I am now taking care of Sarah and Kurt's baby boy, Charlie. He's 4 months old and the best little baby ever. He never fusses unless he's tired and then a few pats and some shushing puts him right out. I go over to Sarah's (which is less than a mile away) and spend some time there in the mornings, usually let him nap there. Then when he wakes up, we come home and spend the rest of the day here. I get a lot more done at home and may even start cooking again! It's really kind of fun to take care of a baby when it's your job and you're not trying to do everything else a woman needs to do at the same time.
We're trying to figure out what to do to deal with the gas prices, food prices, and our electric bill with summer coming on. I found this web site called Gas Buddy which will find the cheapest gas in your area for you. The link is shown on the left. It's a good thing, as Martha always says.
I guess we all learn to stay home and enjoy our families. Learn to play board games again. Go in the back yard and play horseshoes. I feel sorry for those people who have a pool now because it's so expensive to keep up. Ron and I have started doing jigsaw puzzles and you can eat up a lot of time with one of those. If you're interested, buy them on ebay and then resell them when you're done.
Have moved the computer out to the kitchen because we're re-doing the office. We took down the shelves we put up when we first moved in here seven years ago, and are going to buy some other furniture for that room that will make it more comfortable for guests. So, I'm kind of liking this new location and maybe will use my Mac more.
Later,
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Fox News and Ron Paul
Read "The Daily Dose" blog for news about Ron Paul's Presidential run. What's up with Fox News anyway? Ron Paul has proven himself to be a viable candidate whose views need to be heard by voters. I don't remember this happening to any other candidate in past elections. Thank God for YouTube! Watch for yourself - not something edited by the news media.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
VOTE FOR RON PAUL!
Not so long ago, someone sent me an email called "Pick Your Candidate" or some such title. There were a series of questions about current issues and a 1-5 selection of answers. Based on your answers, it chose the candidate that most accurately represented your beliefs and point of view. I was shocked to find that my candidate was Ron Paul.
Intrigued, I "Googled" Ron Paul and read his positions on everything from our monetary policy to his stand on immigration, as well as his feelings about the war (we can't afford it, Congress didn't authorize it, we should march out of there), education, health care, etc. As a medical doctor for many, many years, delivering babies he is in a position to know exactly what's wrong with health care and how to fix it.
He is the only member of Congress who has NEVER, repeat NEVER voted for a tax increase. He votes only for legislation that is constitutional. In other words, the Constitution didn't say anything about what we have to teach in public schools, so Ron would have voted against the "No Child Left Behind" law, not because he doesn't believe all children have a right to an education, but because the Founding Fathers thought education should be a local issue, not a federal one.
If you haven't yet googled Ron Paul, do it TODAY! Watch him on You Tube! He's beat Guiliani twice now - people are starting to listen to his message. See what you think and decide for yourself. Don't let the pollsters tell you who to vote for! They are wrong more often than they are right!
Oh, and by the way, one of my photographs was selected by the new web guidebook/map site Schmap! It is a picture taken in the sculpture garden at the Rodin Museum in Paris when we were there last April. WhooHoo!
Intrigued, I "Googled" Ron Paul and read his positions on everything from our monetary policy to his stand on immigration, as well as his feelings about the war (we can't afford it, Congress didn't authorize it, we should march out of there), education, health care, etc. As a medical doctor for many, many years, delivering babies he is in a position to know exactly what's wrong with health care and how to fix it.
He is the only member of Congress who has NEVER, repeat NEVER voted for a tax increase. He votes only for legislation that is constitutional. In other words, the Constitution didn't say anything about what we have to teach in public schools, so Ron would have voted against the "No Child Left Behind" law, not because he doesn't believe all children have a right to an education, but because the Founding Fathers thought education should be a local issue, not a federal one.
If you haven't yet googled Ron Paul, do it TODAY! Watch him on You Tube! He's beat Guiliani twice now - people are starting to listen to his message. See what you think and decide for yourself. Don't let the pollsters tell you who to vote for! They are wrong more often than they are right!
Oh, and by the way, one of my photographs was selected by the new web guidebook/map site Schmap! It is a picture taken in the sculpture garden at the Rodin Museum in Paris when we were there last April. WhooHoo!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Diane de Poitiers
I have become very interested in Diane de Poitiers, Henri II's mistress. Chateau Chenonceau was her home and we visited there when we were in France. I have since found some information by using Google, but I would like to find more, especially about her political savvy and her legal acumen.
If you have any information about Diane, please email me at dottieday@gmail.com.
If you have any information about Diane, please email me at dottieday@gmail.com.
Monday, June 18, 2007
June News
I am going to really make an effort to keep up this blog on a more frequent basis. Check out all the photos (and there are a lot!) of our Europe trip at www.flickr.com/photos/dottieday/
The other news is that Kathy's golden retriever pair, Buster and Jody, are expecting! We thought we had kept them apart for this heat cycle, not wanting puppies born in 115 degree heat in Arizona, but, lo and behold, the dogs are smarter than we are! So she is due around the first weekend in July. Nancy says the breeder they bought their puppy from said that large breeds often have very large litters - 10 to 13 puppies. O God, I hope not! At least this will give me something to blog about as she gets bigger and bigger.
Also, I made T-shirts from a photograph I took in Paris and have put them on eBay. Take a look. Search for "C'est la vie" under either women's or men's clothing. Buy one!
The other news is that Kathy's golden retriever pair, Buster and Jody, are expecting! We thought we had kept them apart for this heat cycle, not wanting puppies born in 115 degree heat in Arizona, but, lo and behold, the dogs are smarter than we are! So she is due around the first weekend in July. Nancy says the breeder they bought their puppy from said that large breeds often have very large litters - 10 to 13 puppies. O God, I hope not! At least this will give me something to blog about as she gets bigger and bigger.
Also, I made T-shirts from a photograph I took in Paris and have put them on eBay. Take a look. Search for "C'est la vie" under either women's or men's clothing. Buy one!
Monday, May 15, 2006
Don't Be a Dinosaur
You all know who Walter Mossberg is, right? He's only THE most respected techie guru in the country. He writes the technology column for the Wall Street Journal. I've been telling everyone I know for years not to use Internet Explorer - maybe they'll listen to Walt!
http://ptech.wsj.com/report.html
http://ptech.wsj.com/report.html
It's the Border, Stupid!
I read Tony Blankley's post this morning and am relieved to find someone who pretty much sums up my stance on the whole immigration business. Living here in Arizona, we have been to Mexico several times, but it would never occur to me to stay there illegally. I'm pretty sure I'd be thrown in a Mexican jail as soon as they found out I wasn't legal. What do you think?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060502-093648-3192r.htm
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060502-093648-3192r.htm
Friday, May 12, 2006
Recent Site-ings
Blogs I enjoyed today.
http://time.blogs.com/eye_on_science/
http://base10blog.blogspot.com/
Who Thinks Like You?
Do you ever lose it with someone - family, friend, co-worker - because they do or say something you would never do or say in a million years? Ever find yourself thinking, "Why would someone do that?" Well, it's simple. They don't think like you. Did you really believe that God made everyone the same? Of course not - at least not on the outside. We learn early that some people are tall, some are short, some are athletic, some are clumsy, blah, blah. BUT somebody forgot to tell us that the same applies on the inside. Leaving physical differences aside, each person's brain is as different from another's as their faces are. The way each person processes information is unique.
So, the next time you're tempted to scream at your kids or your spouse, or your co-workers, try to remember that we think differently. You may have to communicate better, explain in another way, or just shut up.
http://time.blogs.com/eye_on_science/
http://base10blog.blogspot.com/
Who Thinks Like You?
Do you ever lose it with someone - family, friend, co-worker - because they do or say something you would never do or say in a million years? Ever find yourself thinking, "Why would someone do that?" Well, it's simple. They don't think like you. Did you really believe that God made everyone the same? Of course not - at least not on the outside. We learn early that some people are tall, some are short, some are athletic, some are clumsy, blah, blah. BUT somebody forgot to tell us that the same applies on the inside. Leaving physical differences aside, each person's brain is as different from another's as their faces are. The way each person processes information is unique.
So, the next time you're tempted to scream at your kids or your spouse, or your co-workers, try to remember that we think differently. You may have to communicate better, explain in another way, or just shut up.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Are You a Whiner?
I have to admit that I've never been a fan of Mark Cuban. He strikes me as a big baby and a poor example of franchise owners. I might have to rethink that position after reading his blog.
http://www.blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000210073685/
http://www.blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000210073685/
Be Healthy - Move to England
This is a link to Malcolm Gladwell's post for this week. Very interesting article on a study done comparing the health of people in the U.S. and the people in Great Britain. I have thought for a long time that stress is more of a culprit than doctors want to think it is. This study bears that out.
http://gladwell.typepad.com/gladwellcom/
http://gladwell.typepad.com/gladwellcom/
Friday, May 05, 2006
You Gotta Have Heart!
I'll freely admit it. I'm a wild and crazy basketball fan. I am a Tar Heels fan and I HATE DUKE. But just as much as I hate Duke and JJ Redick, I thoroughly detest the Lakers and that spoiled, nasty brat Kobe Bryant. Just because he can shoot the basketball like a laser beam doesn't make him a man. If I were Raja Bell, I would have gone for Kobe's knees. If life were just, assholes like Kobe would be the one not playing because of knee surgery. His career would be hanging in the balance instead of Amare's.
I am so proud to be living in Phoenix and be able to claim the Phoenix Suns as my team. They play with heart, courage, and class. Steve Nash deserves the MVP award for the second consecutive year, but even more appropriate is his inclusion in Time's 100 Most Influential People IN THE WORLD! Top that, Kobe! No championship ring can equal Steve's legacy to the game and to his fans. And Steve will get a championship ring - I have no doubt about that. It may not be this year, but I have faith.
I am so proud to be living in Phoenix and be able to claim the Phoenix Suns as my team. They play with heart, courage, and class. Steve Nash deserves the MVP award for the second consecutive year, but even more appropriate is his inclusion in Time's 100 Most Influential People IN THE WORLD! Top that, Kobe! No championship ring can equal Steve's legacy to the game and to his fans. And Steve will get a championship ring - I have no doubt about that. It may not be this year, but I have faith.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Are You My Mother?
Yesterday, April 24, 2006, a woman named Gertrude Johnston Day died in Lafayette, Louisiana. Two months shy of her 97th birthday, she had spent the past 15 years in an assisted living facility. She was physically healthy, but Alzheimer's disease made it impossible for her to take care of herself.
This woman gave birth to my brother and me, but there were only rare occasions that I remember when I could call her my "mother." She was a Jehovah's Witness and for my entire life I never knew what she - that woman named Gertrude - thought about anything. What I had instead of a parent was the Watchtower society. We never discussed politics in my house. We never discussed science, we never talked about society and culture, we never talked about current events. I entered my adult years crippled by the lack of knowledge about how the world works and how to navigate my way to happiness. It's no wonder that I am so omnivorous about knowledge still. To read about someone else's similar experience go to this link: http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily/04_13_2005.html To further complicate matters, my brother and I are adult children of an alcoholic father. So between them I never had any fun growing up. Not like Heather http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily/02_08_2005.html and Heather grew up MORMON!
I can name the things I remember that were things a mother would do. I wanted to go to school so badly, but my birthday was in late December, so I had missed the deadline. My mother enrolled me in "dancing school" so that I could still say I was in school. Ballet has been a passion since I was 5. She also was the person that I saw reading Pearl Buck, Jane Austen, Dostoyevski; all the classics. She was the one who took me to the library to get my cherished library card. She enrolled me in a program offered by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and they sent a little booklet every month with stickers that I had to place in the right spots. I learned about the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's David, the Winged Victory of Samrothrace, Picasso, Monet, so many wonderful works of art. My favorite was the now-famous-for-the-Bud-Lite-commercial Winged Victory and many, many years later when I stood in the Louvre and saw her, I cried. And when I moved with my husband to Montana to the sheep ranch, for a while she wrote to me every single day. Not much, just something, so that I would get mail - like you would for a child at summer camp.
She always loved my brother best and made no bones about it. He was the good son, I was the stubborn, recalcitrant, wicked daughter. Even though she had to grant that I was smart, she made sure that I knew that I was not good at math and I didn't know that she was wrong until I took a math class in Billings when I was 30-something and got an A. Somehow, my parents helped my brother graduate from medical school. They provided me with one year of college with the stipulation that I take shorthand and typing. Apparently they believed that only boys could make a living being doctors.
They say that parents love their children unconditionally. Not my mother.
This woman gave birth to my brother and me, but there were only rare occasions that I remember when I could call her my "mother." She was a Jehovah's Witness and for my entire life I never knew what she - that woman named Gertrude - thought about anything. What I had instead of a parent was the Watchtower society. We never discussed politics in my house. We never discussed science, we never talked about society and culture, we never talked about current events. I entered my adult years crippled by the lack of knowledge about how the world works and how to navigate my way to happiness. It's no wonder that I am so omnivorous about knowledge still. To read about someone else's similar experience go to this link: http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily/04_13_2005.html To further complicate matters, my brother and I are adult children of an alcoholic father. So between them I never had any fun growing up. Not like Heather http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily/02_08_2005.html and Heather grew up MORMON!
I can name the things I remember that were things a mother would do. I wanted to go to school so badly, but my birthday was in late December, so I had missed the deadline. My mother enrolled me in "dancing school" so that I could still say I was in school. Ballet has been a passion since I was 5. She also was the person that I saw reading Pearl Buck, Jane Austen, Dostoyevski; all the classics. She was the one who took me to the library to get my cherished library card. She enrolled me in a program offered by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and they sent a little booklet every month with stickers that I had to place in the right spots. I learned about the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's David, the Winged Victory of Samrothrace, Picasso, Monet, so many wonderful works of art. My favorite was the now-famous-for-the-Bud-Lite-commercial Winged Victory and many, many years later when I stood in the Louvre and saw her, I cried. And when I moved with my husband to Montana to the sheep ranch, for a while she wrote to me every single day. Not much, just something, so that I would get mail - like you would for a child at summer camp.
She always loved my brother best and made no bones about it. He was the good son, I was the stubborn, recalcitrant, wicked daughter. Even though she had to grant that I was smart, she made sure that I knew that I was not good at math and I didn't know that she was wrong until I took a math class in Billings when I was 30-something and got an A. Somehow, my parents helped my brother graduate from medical school. They provided me with one year of college with the stipulation that I take shorthand and typing. Apparently they believed that only boys could make a living being doctors.
They say that parents love their children unconditionally. Not my mother.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
What Marriage is About
This morning my husband was flipping through the pages of a little book a friend gave me, "The Quotable Woman." Many of you have probably seen it in your local bookstore. He read one quote to me and we laughed together. Then he said, "Funny, there aren't any quotes from that one woman . . ." and paused, not able to come up with her name right then. I looked up and said, "Dorothy Parker?" "Yes!" he said.
Now, how did my brain suddenly just know, out of all the millions of women alive, the one his brain was thinking of? In Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink, he discusses how the brain processes information, sifts through all sorts of facts you've come across in your life, and somehow picks out the exact thing it needs. If you haven't read it, you should.
Then I asked my husband, "Do you love that, or hate that? I mean that I knew exactly what you were thinking?"
"I love that - I love that!"
And, that, my dears, is one of the things marriage is about.
Now, how did my brain suddenly just know, out of all the millions of women alive, the one his brain was thinking of? In Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink, he discusses how the brain processes information, sifts through all sorts of facts you've come across in your life, and somehow picks out the exact thing it needs. If you haven't read it, you should.
Then I asked my husband, "Do you love that, or hate that? I mean that I knew exactly what you were thinking?"
"I love that - I love that!"
And, that, my dears, is one of the things marriage is about.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Golda's Balcony
Never Again
Those are the words inscribed on the nuclear warheads in Israel. I didn't know that until yesterday when I went to see Golda's Balcony, a one-woman play starring Valerie Harper. This is the story of a woman who grew up in Milwaukee, only finished the 8th grade, left home when she was only two years older than my grandson to go to Denver and live with her sister, and eventually came close to ending life on this planet. Hearing about her decision to go to Palestine in 1921 and work for a state for the Jews, I could not imagine myself doing such a thing. But maybe for her it was the same as when I threw as much as I could into 3 hefty bags and loaded my kids in the car and left home and eventually made a life unlike the one I thought I would have.
It was amazing to realize that when Golda was agonizing over whether to strike first at the countries aligned against Israel during the Yom Kippur War in October of 1973, I was agonizing over whether or not I had cancer, not knowing that this growing tumor in my belly would turn out to be my darling daughter, Nancy. I had no idea that across the world, a fearless and tough woman was the one who truly held my fate in her hands.
This play revealed a truth that I had not seen quite so clearly before: that history is made by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Those are the words inscribed on the nuclear warheads in Israel. I didn't know that until yesterday when I went to see Golda's Balcony, a one-woman play starring Valerie Harper. This is the story of a woman who grew up in Milwaukee, only finished the 8th grade, left home when she was only two years older than my grandson to go to Denver and live with her sister, and eventually came close to ending life on this planet. Hearing about her decision to go to Palestine in 1921 and work for a state for the Jews, I could not imagine myself doing such a thing. But maybe for her it was the same as when I threw as much as I could into 3 hefty bags and loaded my kids in the car and left home and eventually made a life unlike the one I thought I would have.
It was amazing to realize that when Golda was agonizing over whether to strike first at the countries aligned against Israel during the Yom Kippur War in October of 1973, I was agonizing over whether or not I had cancer, not knowing that this growing tumor in my belly would turn out to be my darling daughter, Nancy. I had no idea that across the world, a fearless and tough woman was the one who truly held my fate in her hands.
This play revealed a truth that I had not seen quite so clearly before: that history is made by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Great Sand Dunes National Park
We're planning a trip in May with our best friends. They're flying here to Phoenix and we'll drive to Gallup, New Mexico, then head north into Colorado. We'll go first to Durango and meet another couple there whom we haven't seen for many years. Together we'll ride the Silverton Railroad which is a 9-hour round trip. We'll stay another night in Durango before heading east to Alamosa. On the way, we hope to sample the hot springs at Pagosa Springs. Maybe even a bit of white-water rafting if that's available. We'll stay in Alamosa so that we can visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park, something I've wanted to do for a long time. Visit their web site for some spectacular photographs of the dunes. I might have to even get up early to get some good shots. After we explore the park, we'll return west to Mesa Verde and enjoy the magnificent views and architecture of the pueblos. Then back home to Phoenix. It should be a very enjoyable and informative trip.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Boot Camp
Yeah, baby! Now there is no reason for you not to buy a Mac. For all of you out there who thought that you'd like to have a Mac because, after all, they are so cool, so reliable, so upscale, but all you've ever worked on is Windows and you think you'd have to learn a whole new operating system (which you wouldn't) - run, run, run to your closest Apple store and hand over your credit card. Because now you can own a beautiful computer and still run your old clunky Windows program that you're used to. With Boot Camp, you have the choice of running Windows XP or Mac OS X. Is it a perfect world now, or what?
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Big News out of the ACC!
No credit is given in this short blurb, but I think this breakthrough is probably the work of the scientists at Wake Forest. Anthony Atala left Harvard's ivy halls to come to a new institute of regenerative medicine at Wake Forest. The word is that he's been able to make cell suspensions that form uteruses, vaginas, and large blood vessels. Atala's group has even constructed a fully functioning rabbit penis! Now they're working on solid organs.
URINE LUCK
We can grow you a new bladder. Can we conquer death?
By William SaletanUpdated Tuesday, April 4, 2006, at 9:15 AM ET
(For the latest Human Nature columns on birth control, polygamy, and old people, click here.)
Scientists have grown and implanted the first custom-made human organs. They made bladders and put them in patients who donated the source tissue. Recipe: Take a tiny tissue sample from each patient, grow it in a dish, wrap it around a scaffold to shape it, grow it for seven weeks in an incubator, then put it in the patient, where the new bladder keeps growing. The bladders have been functioning in seven patients for about four years. Next, scientists plan to grow kidneys, livers, and hearts. Interpretations: 1) Tissue engineering has arrived. 2) We did it without embryonic stem cells. 3) Death, RIP. (For Human Nature's take on growing organs from embryos, click here.)
URINE LUCK
We can grow you a new bladder. Can we conquer death?
By William SaletanUpdated Tuesday, April 4, 2006, at 9:15 AM ET
(For the latest Human Nature columns on birth control, polygamy, and old people, click here.)
Scientists have grown and implanted the first custom-made human organs. They made bladders and put them in patients who donated the source tissue. Recipe: Take a tiny tissue sample from each patient, grow it in a dish, wrap it around a scaffold to shape it, grow it for seven weeks in an incubator, then put it in the patient, where the new bladder keeps growing. The bladders have been functioning in seven patients for about four years. Next, scientists plan to grow kidneys, livers, and hearts. Interpretations: 1) Tissue engineering has arrived. 2) We did it without embryonic stem cells. 3) Death, RIP. (For Human Nature's take on growing organs from embryos, click here.)
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