What color is your bra?

By the end of this week women, and some men, were posting just a color in their status update ... white, beige, black, blue ... none. What did it mean? It didn't take long to figure out it was the bra color of the woman posting.

It's unknown who started this "campaign" but the end result was that for at least a day, people on Facebook were talking about breast cancer.

The world awoke Friday to discover that Davi’s bra is black. Janet’s is blue with bows. Kim’s is pink. And Susan’s is a “decadent beige.”

The colors were, at first at least, somewhat mystifyingly posted on thousands upon thousands of Facebook pages as their status updates, without any context. Just colors. “White .. for today anyway!” wrote Kerri.

By midday, the color craze had gone viral on the Internet and around the globe, as had the word that the colors were really bra colors. Almost immediately, cyber-arguments erupted about what it all meant. The blogosphere went wild. Was so openly and willingly posting something as intimate as one’s bra color an attempt to raise breast cancer awareness? Or was it all just another Facebook ‘send your friend a snowball’ or ‘take your celebrity boyfriend quiz’ silly game? A meme?

Whatever it is, its impact was immediate and dramatic: As bra colors went flying around the net, something strange happened at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. After two years of intensive efforts to boost its profile through social networking, hiring two full-time people to do solely that, within two hours Friday morning, their fan base on Facebook exploded from 135 to 700.

But it can't stop there. We must commit everyday to doing all we can to stop breast cancer, and all the other forms of cancer that have killed so many people we love.

The first thing you can do is take preventative measures. Have that mammogram, lower the fat content in your diet, stop smoking. Don't do it as a New Years Resolution that will be broken almost as quickly as it took to utter the words. Make a commitment.

Urge friends and family to do the same.

I'm sure there's more we can do ... post your ideas below.

House Passes Health Care Non-Reform for Women

I am simply furious about this, and EVERYONE needs to be calling their Senators to DEMAND that no "Stupak-type" amendment is included in the Senate version of so-called health care reform.

And don't think for a second that we can count on the president to help with this.

CALL NOW!!

Must Reads on Health Care Non-Reform

Am I Angrier at Bart Stupak or Barack Obama
from PunditMom


Obama Refuses to Stand Up for Women
from Shakesville


NOW's Terry O'Neill: "Hillary Clinton Would Have Fought for Our Rights"
from Tennessee Gureilla Women

Senators Restore Abstinence Education Funding

Just how stupid are these Senators? It's been proven that abstinence-only education doesn't work. So would someone tell me why two Democrats and all ten Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee voted to restore funding under the guise of "health care reform?"

A Senate committee voted Tuesday night to restore $50 million a year in federal funding for abstinence-only education that President Barack Obama has pushed to eliminate.

The 12-11 vote by the Senate Finance Committee came over objections from its chairman, Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.

Two Democrats - Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas - joined all 10 committee Republicans in voting "yes" on the measure by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.

The measure would still have to pass the full House and Senate. Hatch said abstinence education had been shown to work, though Baucus disagreed. Obama had proposed in his 2010 budget to direct money spent on abstinence-only education to broader teen pregnancy-reduction programs.

An alternate measure offered by Baucus also passed. Baucus' measure, which passed 14-9, would make money available for education on contraception and sexually transmitted diseases, among other things, in addition to abstinence. Lawmakers will have to reconcile the two measures, both approved during debate on a sweeping health overhaul bill, as the legislation moves forward.

Geezz ... when will these idiots get it?

Republican Heath Care Plan: "Don't Get Sick"

I think Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) may be on to something here. He has certainly pegged Republicans for what they are -- greedy, heartless bastards.

Sen. Jon Kyl: Men Who Make Me Crazy

Kyl: I Don't Need Maternity Care In My Health Insurance.
Stabenow: Your Mom Probably Did!

Thank you Sen. Stabenow!

Quality Affordable Healthcare NOW

Insurance Jive: The Real "Death Panels"

From Courage Campaign:

Based on the true story of Patsy Bates, "Insurance Jive" shows why it is the insurance companies that actually operate "death panels" -- and demonstrates why we must stand strong in support of a public health insurance option.

Help continue building support for the public option by spreading the word about this video to your friends and family.

Without a public option it's really not "reform."

Barney Frank Confronts Woman At Town Hall Comparing Obama To Hitler

Hey, when you're the "gay guy" in Congress I guess you get used to people hating you! Maybe that's why Rep. Barney Frank has no problem standing up to the cranks who are dominating the discussion on health care reform. I'm not always a big fan of Barney's, but I give him props on this!


At a town hall meeting a constituent asks, "Why are you supporting this Nazi policy?"

Frank responds: "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" He then calls her approach "vile, contemptible nonsense." He closes by saying: "Trying to have a conversation with you would be like arguing with a dining room table."

Go Barney!

In Sickness and in Wealth

I agree with Elliot Spitzer when he asks the all important question of: "... why we have socialized the risk of failure but allowed the rewards of success to remain private."

The debate about bank bailouts and health care is missing a critical piece of context: The American economy hasn't been working for the working- and middle class for decades. It is impossible to determine who should pay for what or whether it is "fair" to ask the wealthy to contribute more to the health care of those who are uninsured, without better understanding the winners and losers in the U.S. economy over the past several decades.

One of the great accomplishments of the American economy, or at least the mythology so claims, is the creation of an enormous middle class after World War II. Americans all shared in the wealth generated by the most dynamic economy the world had ever seen. At one end of the economic spectrum, we reduced the number of people living in poverty, while at the other end, we applauded those whose work benefited the entire economy.

Between 1947 and 1967, this was a somewhat accurate image, as the distribution of income made the population look more and more like a bell curve with each passing year. Yet since 1967, this story has reversed course. For more than 40 years, income has been distributed less equitably. As we consider the policy remedies to crises that are of immediate impact—such as the crisis in health care or in our financial system—it is critical to understand the larger arc of this socioeconomic narrative. How we think of distributing the costs of reform should be informed by this larger story.

It's no secret that the rich keep getting richer, while the rest of us struggle to keep the bills paid. It's one of the reasons the public is so ready for true health care reform. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear we are going to get it.

Before 1987, it might have been reasonable to argue that overall income growth was softening the effects of rising inequality. But since then, the rate of overall growth for all but the top quintile has slowed dramatically, with the lowest quintile seeing its income grow by only 7.8 percent in the last two decades, while income for the top quintile grew by 28 percent. And looking at after-tax income, which factors in the impact of favorable tax policy for the rich, the numbers are even starker: Between 1979 and 2004, the top 1 percent of all earners saw their income grow by an astounding 176 percent.

So what does this have to do with the current health care debate?

It points to the justification for asking the wealthy to step up to the plate and give a little back!

The outcry over Wall Street salaries and bonuses is more understandable when you realize that, over the last 40 years, there has been an inexorable shift of wealth and income toward the upper end of the income spectrum. With the return to profitability of many of the institutions that needed bailouts, taxpayers are wondering why we have socialized the risk of failure but allowed the rewards of success to remain private. Where is the public's fair payback for playing banker to the bankers?

But the significance of this 40-year cycle of income distribution may be playing out most clearly in the context of health care. One of the current debates is how to pay for the costs of expanded access to health insurance. A restructuring of the system will save some money, but more will be needed, and one proposal is to get it from a higher tax on the upper strata of income earners. Given income distribution trends over the past four decades, it is difficult not to support asking wealthier Americans for some help in closing the gap in our effort to give all Americans health insurance.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Rep. Maxine Waters Nails the Problem

How can Rahm rein in Blue Dog Democrats when he recruited most of them? Many of us saw this coming during the last two elections.

Feeding My New Health Care Jones

It's been another busy day, and will be for a few days, but came across this must read post by Ezra Klein.

Health Care Reform for Beginners: The Many Flavors of the Public Plan


Please pass it on!

ER

Thursday marked the end of a 15 year run for the program ER. That's an incredible accomplishment these days, when television programs struggle to last 13 weeks.

It was probably my frequent viewing of the program that made the trip Jane and I made to the ER last night less frightening.

As you know, my sister arrived in DC last Wednesday, and we had a series of things that needed to be accomplished quickly. I'm happy to report that we accomplished our goal, and had hoped to spend a quite weekend with good friends and great movies.

As mentioned earlier, Jane turned 60 on Friday, and we had a quite celebration on Friday. Saturday a few friends came over for a cookout to continue the celebration -- and we must have had too good a time, because Jane ended up in the ER on Saturday night.

She has been coughing a lot at night, and was a little tired after the party so she decided to rest. She did manage to sleep a little before letting me know she was having a hard time catching her breath. She also felt a pressure on her chest, so we decided it would be best to take her to the hospital.

I made my first call to 911, and was a little amazed by the whole process. I thought I was remaining calm, but when the operator answered and asked for the address for a split second I couldn't remember it! Amazing how the mind works.

I quickly pulled myself together and gave her the information. Took Jane's pulse for her, and followed instructions to unlock the door, make sure the pets were secured, and get Jane's medication together to take with us.

One of our neighbors was at the house so she stayed with Jane while I pulled everything together.

The emergency team arrived in a matter of minutes, and two really cute guys came in to attend to Jane. While one asked her questions about how she was feeling the other asked me additional information they needed.

Pretty soon two women came through the door as well, and they started the medical response. Once Jane was secured, we were out the door.

The guys carried Jane, who was strapped to a chair, down the steps and into the ambulance. One of the women got in the back with her, and I was instructed to get in the passenger seat. The other woman then got into the drivers seat and we were off. I couldn't see Jane, but I could hear her talking with the woman in the back. I felt a sense of relief just knowing we were with people who clearly knew what they were doing.

The woman driving was really wonderful. She kept taking to me, I think to keep me calm, and at one point said "what the heck -- let's use the lights and sound!"

I've seen drivers ignore emergency vehicles -- which ticks me off -- but it's particularly annoying when you are sitting in the ambulance. So please pull over and get out of the way when you see emergency lights coming your way.

Once at the hospital the doctors worked quickly to assess the situation, while I was taken to the ER waiting room. I wasn't there long before a nurse came to get me.

The good news is that Jane didn't have a heart attack, but she was clearly still having trouble getting her breath so her doctor ordered a series of tests.

I stayed with her for a few more hours, before it was clear she was going to sleep. At her encouragement I went home and told her I would be back on Sunday.

Her doctored came in to see her while I was there today and it seems she has some sort of infection in her lungs. They are treating it, and want to run a few more tests before sending her home.

Things I learned from this, that I would like to share with others:

1) Have your address written down somewhere next to (or near) the phone. In an emergency it's easier to read than to remember!

2) Make sure your house numbers are clearly visible from the street. Mine are during the day, but at night the porch light shadows them, making it impossible for them to be seen from the street.

3) If you, or someone in your home, is dealing with an on-going health issue keep a list of all the medications they are taking handy, so you can just give it too the medical team.

4) And if, or someone in your home, is dealing with on-going health issues (and if possible), keep medical records handy on a thumb drive so you can take it with you to the hospital.

5) And finally, take a deep breath and try and stay calm.

HIV/AIDS Crisis Discussed at Creating Change

Chief Executive Officer of Gay Men's Health Crisis, Dr. Marjorie Hill, led a panel discussion titled: "HIV/AIDS Crisis: This Is What We're Doing About it!"


In the spirit of full disclosure I must confess that I've had a crush on this woman for at least a decade.

The second speaker, Kenyon Farrow, delivered a powerful message.


What I appreciated the most about Kenyon is how feminist he is. As he spoke I kept thinking "this guy has a fabulous mother."

The presentation that brought me to tears was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder. You will only hear a snippet of her fabulous address here and I can only say I hope at sometime those who didn't have an opportunity to be in Denver can hear the whole thing.

Kudos to Christina Applegate

Click image to play video
Christina Applegate, at 36, has dealt pro-actively with her breast cancer. Applegate's mother fought breast cancer, and Applegate tested positive for the BRCA1 breast cancer gene that made her a likely candidate for the disease. For that reason she has been tested every year since age 30. Cancer was detected a month ago in one of her breasts, but Applegate opted to have both her breasts removed in an operation known as a prophylactic double mastectomy.

Now cancer free, she credits the MRI screening with saving her life.

"My decision, after looking at all the treatment plans that were possibilities for me, the only one that seemed the most logical and the one that was going to work for me was to have a bilateral mastectomy," Applegate said. [...]

"I didn't want to go back to the doctors every four months for testing and squishing and everything. I just wanted to kind of get rid of this whole thing for me. This was the choice that I made and it was a tough one."

Though she will be undergoing breast reconstruction surgery over the next eight months, Applegate said the emotional toll has been heavy.

"Sometimes, you know, I cry. And sometimes I scream. And I get really angry. And I get really upset, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes. And I think that it's all part of the healing," she said.

But Applegate is healthy and calm now, due to both her unflappible sense of humor -- "I'm going to have the best boobs in the nursing home"...

Working to turn a negative into a positive, Applegate is now raising much needed funding to give other high risk women the opportunity to have BRCA testing and life-saving MRI screening. The testing and MRI screening -- which is capable of seeing cells, can detect cancerous cells before a tumor forms -- is a costly procedure that is often not covered by insurance.

Applegate appeared on Good Morning American, speaking with Robin Roberts who is herself a cancer survivor. Click the image above to view the video on the GMA web site.

Kudos to Christina Applegate for her courage in coming forward so soon after her surgery to dispel the misinformation circulating around her very difficult, and personal decision. Best wishes on a speedy recovery.
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What Women Want

Did you know that 46% of single mothers earn incomes under the poverty line? Or that more than 14 million women live in poverty? It shouldn't be surprising that "women feel the impact of economic insecurity and rising food, energy, education, and health care costs more deeply than men – and see government as a key to the solution." A recent poll by the National Women's Law Center indicates women want:

• A better health care system



• An end to the wage gap



• Affordable birth control, comprehensive sex education, and protection for Roe v. Wade



• Access to high-quality child care



• Improved economic security for women and their families



• A solution to the dropout crisis



• A fair and independent judiciary

The facts are in: "One in four girls drops out of high school. More than 17 million women have no health insurance. And women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men."

The National Women's Law Center is offering candidates a Platform for Progress.

Passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and the Fair Pay Act would be a good start. Another good start would be to reverse the damage done by the welfare reform bill signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. If Congress was so hell bent on impeaching him it should have been for this -- not a stain on a blue dress.

Economic security won't happen for single mothers until they have access to quality, affordable child care. And it won't happen for many women (and men) until we have universal, single-payer health care.

Yes, those Commie socialist ideas feminists have been advocating for decades!

It's amazing how people don't seem to have a problem with socialized fire or police protection -- but somehow offering security to women and their children is a Communist plot!

Comprehensive sex education could help keep a lot of girls in school. As would providing them the same opportunities to participate in team sports. Girls who participate in sports generally have higher self esteem than girls who don't. And when girls feel good about themselves, they are less likely to need validation by a boy (or man), which delays the onset of their sexual activity by around 18 months. For some, it's just enough time to graduate.

The National Women's Law Center would like to know what you think.

Woman Left to Die

Shocking video of a woman, literally left to die, calls attention to the dismal state of health care in this country.


The person who posted this online writes:

A 49 year old mental patient at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, was left on the floor to die. This video was edited, by whom, I do not know. I do know that a more complete version of this tape, shows a male security guard walking over to the patient, and simply walking away. Moments later, a male Dr. does the same thing. News reports indicate that the Dr. was fired, and the nurses and security guards were suspended.

Local news coverage below.


From the hospital staff, to the others in the waiting room, this is completely unacceptable.

.

What Would You Do?

Southwest Airlines passenger Joe David Jones was met at the gate by Dallas police, for refusing to get off his cell phone while the plane was in flight. Early media reports left the impression that Jones was just another obnoxious businessman, who thinks rules are meant to be broken.

But was that the case?

It seems the call was with a physician treating his father, who had just suffered a serious heart attack. The doctor need to speak with Jones immediately, to make critical life-death decisions regarding his father.

Police said Joe David Jones, 50, of Austin, was cited for disorderly conduct. Jones did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The Federal Aviation Administration bars use of mobile phones when planes are flying due to concerns about interference with navigation systems.

King said airlines can be fined up to $25,000 for allowing cell phone use, and passengers also can be fined.

If you were Joe David Jones, what would you have done?

Bush’s veto lies

In case you missed it, here is Eugene Robinson’s excellent op-ed on Bush’s veto of the SCHIP bill.

To say that George W. Bush spends money like a drunken sailor is to insult every gin-soaked patron of every dockside dive in every dubious port of call. If Bush gets his way, the cost of his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will soon reach a mind-blowing $600 billion. Despite turning a budget surplus into a huge deficit, the man still hasn’t met a tax cut he doesn’t like. And when the Republicans were in charge of Congress, Bush might as well have signed their pork-stuffed spending bills with a one-word rubber stamp: “Whatever.”

So for Bush to get religion on fiscal responsibility at this late date is, well, a joke. And for him to make his stand on a measure that would have provided health insurance to needy children is a punch line that hasn’t left many Republicans laughing.

Bush a Fiscal Conservative?

Who does Bush think he's kidding? No one should ever believe this president is fiscally responsible. He took a budget surplus and devolved it into the LARGEST DEFICIT IN US HISTORY.

He has flushed away more than half a trillion dollars in Iraq, yet he decides to draw a line in the sand when it comes to extending health care to children of 'working poor' families.

Even George Bush knows this was an embarrassing veto. How do I know that? Because all his other veto's were done with camera's flashing. This one took place in the shadows, behind closed doors -- where HE belongs.

Dan Froomkin writes:

The three previous times President Bush vetoed a bill, he did so in public.

In July 2006 and this past June, he surrounded himself with supportive anti-abortion activists who welcomed his veto of stem-cell legislation. In May, when he vetoed legislation that would have established a timeline for troop withdrawal from Iraq, he did so in a televised address that rallied his fellow Republicans.

But this morning's veto of a bipartisan bill that would have dramatically expanded children's health insurance came behind closed doors, with no fanfare or visuals.

Who, after all, would have cheered him this time?

Exactly!

And hopefully this stupid move will translate to more Republicans sent packing in the 2008 election, since they are preventing an override vote.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll taken last week found that 72 percent of Americans supported the legislation. [...]

"With Democrats eager to tar the White House as insensitive to children, many observers think the President couldn't have picked a worse fight with which to prove his credentials. But regardless of the immediate political cost over a possible veto of SCHIP, these are fights the President welcomes in his last 16 months in office. After the largest expansion of government since Lyndon Johnson's Great Society four decades ago, he is bending over backward to show committed budget hawks that he is really one of them. Earlier this week the White House went so far as to say that the President was making a stand on SCHIP because it was a 'philosophic issue.'

Give me a break.

If Republicans were smart, they would tell this president "No Deal" and override this terribly mean-spirited veto.