In Memoriam - The Holocaust

Europe, 1945, These Pictures Cannot be Erased!

"Our motto must be, In spite of despair, hope must exist. In spite of suffering, humanity must prevail. And in spite of all the differences in the world, the worst enemy, the worst peril, is indifference." Elie Wiesel

We all get tons of email. Personal. Professional. Spam. Jokes and funny pictures. Newsletters we've subscribed to and some we haven't.

If you're like me, you get chain letters too. I always delete those, no matter how much bad karma they warn I'll incur.

Not this time.

I got a different kind of chain letter this week. One I passed on to friends and am sharing here. It's about the worst karma in the history of the world -- The Holocaust.

This chain letter doesn't ask for anything or predict doom or promise great riches. It's simply a call to remember. And to assure, as Jews say, Never Again.

I urge you to copy and paste the following words into an email, along with the picture and caption above, then send it to others.

IN MEMORIAM

60 years after the Second World War ended, an email is being sent as a memorial chain.

It is launched during Passover – the Jewish Holiday of Freedom – and will circulate until Holocaust Memorial Day, in memory of the six million Jews who were massacred during the Holocaust.

This email is intended to reach six million people around the world.

Join us, be a link in the memorial chain and help us meet that goal.

Send this email to 6 people you know and ask them to continue the memorial chain.

There's so much hate and evil and killing and dying in the world today. One small email won't do much to stop that. But we have to start somewhere.

If Inventors Had Listened

"If E-mail had been around before the telephone was invented people would have said 'hey, forget e-mail - with this new telephone invention I can actually talk to people.' " Dave Barry

There's a new show on ABC called American Inventor. I've never watched it. I figured it was just another lame attempt to cash in on the public's seemingly unquenchable thirst to see other people make fools of themselves. And of course it is.

But then I got an email with some quotes from and about famous inventors and visionaries. And I realized no matter how fatuous the TV show might be, there's somebody out there working diligently to come up with the next paper clip ... or cure for cancer.

Think not? Take a look at these examples.

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872.

"The abdomen, the chest and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon." Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria, 1873.

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work, 1921.

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in Gone with the Wind. 1929

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre, 1936.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 15 tons." Popular Mechanics Magazine, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949.

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957.

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." Decca Recording Company rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

"But what ... is it good for?" Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, commenting on the microchip, 1968.

"You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training." Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by inventing Nautilus machines, 1970

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible." A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found Federal Express in 1971.

"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you; you haven't got through college yet.'" Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer, 1976.

"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting her company, Mrs. Fields Cookies, 1977.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." Spencer Silver on the work that led to 3-M Post-It Notepads, 1980.

"640k ought to be enough for anybody." Bill Gates, 1981

Nuclear Meltdown - Back to the Future

On This Day

"Celebrations of anniversaries of disasters, such as nuclear power plant meltdowns or political assassinations, provide opportunities, as do holidays." Joey Skaggs

What's going on here? Are we back in the 60's and 70's? More likely, as the pundits say, history is doomed to repeat itself. If you're over 40 or know anything about those decades, you know there are more than a few eerie parallels.

Think about it. Look at those headlines. (Click the photo to enlarge.)

America's in a disastrous, unwinnable war on foreign soil. Our (Republican) president has committed grossly unethical and arguably criminal acts.

We see evil corruption of religious faith for personal gain by everyone from priests to congressmen to movie stars. Unrest among students in France. Ominous rumblings from the Middle East.

In 1966 Charles Whitman climbed a tower in Austin, TX, killed 14 people and injured dozens more. Last weekend Aaron Kyle Huff showed up at a party, opened fire, killed six people and then himself.

Yesterday it was revealed that undercover congressional investigators foiled federal regulators and managed to smuggle radioactive material into the US.

Today is the 27th anniversary of Three Mile Island, the worst nuclear accident in American history. I know. I was there.

I lived and worked through Hurricane Agnes in 1972 too. (More about that another time.)

This parallel bothers me the most: the unconscionable fact that our government has done virtually nothing in 7 months to help the still homeless victims of Katrina and Wilma.

I came up with a solution for the TMI aftermath that would work just as well today. We need to stick Michael Chertoff in a flooded trailer in Louisiana -- and not let him out until all victims have adequate housing and services. Period.

It feels like nothing has changed. And we have to do something about it. But right now, I'm about to have a meltdown myself.

Norgs Make News

PhillyIMC

"I say this is the day that the war ends. This isn’t journalism against bloggers anymore. It never was, really. This is journalists and bloggers together in favor of news." Jeff Jarvis, buzzmachine

The Unconference. An unconventional meeting of people and minds at Penn's Annenberg School of Communications. The subject: the future of news ... and journalism.

I should have been there. My profession. I wanted to be there. My alma mater. I wish I'd been there. My chance to meet cyber pals, peers and personal heroes face to face.

Professional bloggers Dan Rubin of the Inquirer's Blinq and Will Bunch of the Daily News' Attytood, plus the pros at Philly.com. Killer "amateur" (ha!) bloggers Susie Madrak of Suburban Guerilla, Duncan Black of Eschaton and some of the folks behind the Philly Future blog co-op.

The Unconference included media students, journalists and pros from Philly and beyond. Check out the short list from Albert Yee at Dragonballyee. Top minds and talents all, gathered to take a first pass at redefining journalism and the news.

I couldn't make it. But here's the beauty part, irony and all: I was there in spirit by the grace of many who showed up in person. How? Via their blogs.

You can be there too.

Read what they discussed and debated and collaborated on. Watch the Norg Unconference video. Take advantage of their collective wisdom, experience and vision.

And add your own. On your blog and at norgs.org.

Norg (Will Bunch's clever contraction of news organization) isn't an exercise in blog bloviation. It's a serious effort by smart, committed writers, journalists and media professionals to make an impact on the direction of news dissemination in the 21st century. Too grandiose? Not even close.

Norg is about the future of journalism. And we either help shape it, or be consigned to live with it.

Unless the next Unconference is held on the weekend of May 12--my son's college graduation--I'll be there.

You should come too.

Here's a review of Next Steps. I'm going to read, absorb and think, then add my 2 cents.

You should do that too.

Pennsylvania Power

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Benjamin Franklin

A while back I shared a triviafest about New Jersey. Much as I love Jersey, I'm a native of Pennsylvania. So now it's time to give my home state its due. Maybe we can't claim The Boss, but we've got Ben Franklin, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and (oy) Rick Santorum.

Most people know Philadelphia, PA as the birthplace of America. But I bet you didn't know the first World Series was held in Pittsburgh, PA. Or that the first Big Mac was introduced at a Uniontown, PA McDonalds.

And, well, it's hard to top this ... a Pennsylvanian invented the first pull tab on beer cans.

Yo, are we cool or what?

PA is a state...no, make that a Commonwealth filled with famous inventions and fabulous firsts. Take a look for yourself. Then check to see if you qualify as a Power PAer.

PA Facts
Home of the Amish
Home of Little League Baseball
Home of the Slinky
Home of Crayola Crayons
Birthplace of Coal Industry
Christmas Tree Capital of the World
Most famous battle of the Civil War
Worst nuclear power plant disaster
Home of the first roller coaster
World's largest chocolate factory
Mail order capital of the US
Mushroom capital of the world

PA Firsts

Anti-Discrimination
First American society for the abolition of slavery
First anti-slavery resolution
First abolition law
First African-American church - Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church
First treaty between America and Indian tribes
First non-reservation school for Indians
First successful women's magazine - Godey's Lady's Book
First college for training Women physicians - Female Medical College of Pennsylvania
First woman to serve as Speaker of a State House of Representatives - Alice M. Bentley
First bridge to be named for a woman - The Betsy Ross Bridge
First baseball stadium built for a Black team - Greenlee Stadium, Pittsburgh, 1933
First African-American woman to be elected a State Legislator - Crystal Bird Fauset,1938
First African-American reporter hired by a major network - Malvin (Mal) Goode, hired by ABC, 1962
First African-American to serve as Speaker of a State House of Representatives - K. Leroy Irvis, 1977 (RIP)

Government and Commerce
First United States Capital - York, PA
First paper mill in North America
First public school in the American Colonies
First public library
First volunteer fire company
First fire insurance company
First department store
First public bank in the U S
First United States Mint
First Stock Exchange in America
First Building and Loan Association
First labor strike - Philadelphia carpenters, 1791
First municipal airport
First coast-to-coast highway - U.S. Route 30
First driver's education class (Duh, that was a no-brainer.)
First US air raid shelter
First Jeep manufactured
First oil well
First pretzel factory

Media and Sports
First magazine
First daily newspaper (Let's hope we don't see the last.)
First American newspaper cartoon
First movie theater
First orchestra
First radio station
World's first radio address - Herbert Hoover, in Pittsburgh, 1921
First demonstration of electronic television broadcasting
First televised political convention - Republican National Convention, Philadelphia, 1948
First cable television system
First HBO pay TV broadcast
First public television station
First pro football team
First World Series - Pittsburgh Pirates (Against the Boston Pilgrims), 1903
First World Series night game - Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, 1971
First retractable roof on an auditorium - Mellon Arena
First golf course in America
First pro athlete to own a major league franchise - Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey, 1999
First use of anabolic steroids in sports (Jeez, you'd think that would've been New Jersey.)

Medicine and Science
First institution devoted to science
First school of anatomy in North America
First medical school
First free medical clinic
First federal hospital
First crematory (Yuk, who'd be proud of that?)
First community illuminated by electricity
First polio vaccine
First designated university - University of Pennsylvania,1791
First Atomic submarine engine
First successful Siamese twin separation
American Medical Association founded

Technology and The Arts
First totally air conditioned building
First typewriter
First computer
First store to use escalators
First locomotive
First known distilling process for petroleum
First nuclear power plant
First supertanker
First drive-in gas station
First suspension bridge
First Robotics Institute
First modern art museum
First art institution in America
First Internet "emoticon" - the smiley - created by computer scientist Scott Fahlman, 1980 (Okay, now we're getting somewhere. :-)

Last & Best Firsts
First Bible printed in America
First beauty salon
First zoo
First World's Fair
First taxi service
First ferris wheel
First "Christmas Club"
First Thanksgiving Day Parade
First accordian
First bubble gum
First banana split
First game of bingo
First major brewery to use aluminum bottles

And Finally
First Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security - January 24, 2003, Tom Ridge (We're not necessarily proud of this.)

First battle - and victory - against terrorism - September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 in the sky over Shanksville, Somerset County, PA (We're definitely proud of--and deeply saddened by--this.)

Power PA - You Know You're From Pennsylvania If...

You've always called Philadelphia "Philly." And New Jersey has always been "Jersey."

You refer to Pennsylvania as "PA" (pronounced Pee-ay). How many other states do that?

You don't need a newscaster or weatherman to tell you who "Punxsutawney Phil" is.

You've experienced the first day of buck season and the first day of the State Fair as school holidays.

You can use the phrase "fire hall wedding reception" without batting an eye.

At least 5 people on your block have electric candles in their windows all year long.

You know what a Hex sign is.

You know what a State Store is. And your out-of-state friends find it incredible that you can't purchase liquor at the mini-mart.

You own only three condiments: salt, pepper and Heinz ketchup.

The words hoagie, crick, chipped ham, sticky buns, shoo-fly pie, pirogues and pocketbook actually mean something to you.

You can eat cold pizza -even for breakfast- and know others who do the same. (Those from NY find this barbaric.)

You have not only heard of Birch Beer, you know it comes in colors: Red, White, Brown, Gold.

You've never been to a wedding without hearing the "Chicken Dance," at least one Polka and either an Italian song (sung in Italian) or "Hava Nagila."

You know several places that serve Scrapple, Summer Sausage, Lebanon Bologna or Hot Bacon Dressing.

You can eat a cold soft pretzel from a street vendor without fear... and enjoy it.

You know the difference between a cheese steak and a pizza steak and a Primanti's, and that you can't get a really good one outside PA.

You live for summer, when street and county fairs--and downashore--signal the beginning of funnel cake season. And you know what funnel cake and downashore mean.

You've heard diner customers ask the waitress for "drippy eggs" for breakfast.

You know that Blue Ball, Intercourse, Climax, Bird-in-Hand, Beaver, Moon, Virginville, Paradise, Mars and Slippery Rock are PA towns.

You know what a township, borough and commonwealth are.

A local traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a horse-drawn carriage on Old Route 30 in Lancaster County.

You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

You carry jumper cables in your car and know how to use them.

You still keep kitty litter, starter fluid, de-icer and a snow brush in your trunk, even if you live in the South.

Driving in the city is always better in winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

As a kid you built snow forts and leaf piles that were taller than you were.

Your high school yearbook contains a lot of Polish, German & Italian names.

You know how to respond to the question " 'jeetyet?" (Did you eat yet?)

You know how to pronounce Bryn Mawr, Wilkes-Barre, Schuylkill, Bala Cynwyd, Conshohocken and Monongahela.

You know what a "Mummer" is and even though you make fun of it, you're disappointed if you can't catch at least highlights of the parade.

"Youse guys" and "ynz" are perfectly acceptable ways to address a group of men and women.

Sources:
Pennsylvania Trivia
PENNSYLVANIA HALL OF FAME
Email from my sister

How to Deal with Doctors

"How will the M.B.A.'s and the politicians respond to what can only be termed a 'patient-driven revolution'? They will have to cope. I suspect doctors will be thrilled." Dr. Peter Salgo
The Doctor Will See You for Exactly Seven Minutes - New York Times

Health care is a mess. It's expensive. Time consuming. Increasingly depersonalized. We've become numbers, statistics, unwilling participants in assembly line medicine dictated by cost efficiency and bottom lines.

Like it or not, if we're conscientious about our health, most of us will avail ourselves of medical care several times a year. A visit to our primary doctor. Maybe to a specialist. And if we're smart, to a dentist every six months. Women must also see an obstetrician or gynecologist.

As those of us in the Baby Boomer generation reach middle age, the list grows. Rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, cardiologists, orthopods. Too many of us march through their waiting rooms and exam cubicles like automatons, submitting to overlong waits and over-short attention as our doctors rush from one patient to the next.

We entrust our bodies, our well being--potentially our very lives--to medical professionals who barely know us. And rarely take the time to try.

Surprise: it doesn't have to be that way. We have more power than we think. Savvy medical consumers know how to stand out from the crowd. To demand and receive the kind of care we deserve as human beings -- and as paying customers.

Consumerism is the biggest factor people overlook when seeking medical care. We are customers. Doctors are selling us a service. We have the right to expect value for our money. And to go elsewhere if we're not getting it.

It's not difficult, but it takes a serious mind set adjustment. First we have to remember we all have important skills to offer. Our time is just as valuable as a doctor's. Then we have to act on that fact.

We also have to realize that medicine is still a buyer's market. If we don't like the service, we can go elsewhere. Even if you can't or don't want to change doctors, you can retrain yours to be more responsive to you.

Most important, we have to lose our passivity when dealing with medical personnel. We have to participate actively in our own care. Help our doctors become our partners in treating our diseases and improving our well being.

I've had the bad luck to see more than my share of doctors. But the upside is I've learned how to make mine pay attention to me. To help them help me make the most of each visit. And to come away feeling my issues have been addressed, my needs met.

Here are five handy tips from my own experience that result in more thorough medical care and far less frustration and aggravation.

1. Office Politics

Get to know the women at the front desk. Let them know you're willing to wait 30-40 minutes, but will need to reschedule if the wait is longer. Then do it!

Once after waiting an hour without seeing the doctor, I left the exam room, stopped at the front desk and politely asked to reschedule. Voila! The next visit my wait was less than 10 minutes. And it's never been longer than 20 ever since.

2. Call Waiting

Call the office before you leave home or work and ask if the doctor's running on time. Then decide whether to come in later or reschedule.

Most offices prefer not to take the heat from angry patients stacked up in the waiting room. If there's been a delay and I call to remove myself from the schedule, I invariably get my pick for the rescheduled appointment.

3. Paperwork Works

Create a list on your computer of all medications you take, including non-prescriptions. Update it whenever your meds change.

Include any and all drug allergies and reactions on that list.

Create another (or add) a list of all hospitalizations, surgeries and procedures you've had, with dates. Update that regularly if necessary.

Print and take that information with you to every doctor, every time.

You'll find doctors are extremely grateful to have organized, cleanly typed lists for reference, rather than to try to drag details piece by piece from your overburdened mind. You can then review salient issues together, confident nothing's been overlooked.

4. Due Diligence

Make a list beforehand of everything you want to discuss. Questions, comments, physical complaints, fears. Timelines of symptoms. Prescriptions you need refilled. Bring a pencil and take notes as you review the list with the doctor.

Bring test results. Copies of reports from other doctors. (You are entitled to get those reports from any doctor you see.) X-rays. MRI's. CT scans. (You're entitled to get copies of those too.)

Take notes of instructions, suggestions and referrals. If your doctor sees you put everything in writing, you'll both be reassured you've got the whole picture. And who can read a doctor's handwriting anyway?

5. Payment Attention

Don't forget your insurance card, co-pay and referral slip, if necessary.

You made it this far, you don't want to blow the appointment because you forgot to remember the red tape.

Remember this too: doctors and those who run their offices appreciate and value patients who have it all together. If you show respect for their time and effort, they'll pay more attention to yours.

PO'd About T.O.

DallasCowboys.com

"A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are." Bill Shankly

What is it with Philadelphia sports fans? They didn't appreciate a good thing when they had it. Now they're in a lather because the object of their scorn--Terrell Owens--is thumbing his nose right back at them.

I say, You Go, T.O.! No matter how lame your PR plays, you were hired to play football for the Phila Eagles and that's what you did -- better than virtually anybody else on the team.

C'mon, somebody, anybody, get in my face and tell me who lost heart and guts and that Super Bowl ... and who brought us thisclose to winning it, when by all medical and human standards he shouldn't even have been able to play.

To those who bitch and moan about T.O.'s lack of "team spirit" or "sportsmanship" I say, Grow Up! These aren't school children who need guidance and life lessons. They're professional athletes, big tough bruisers paid huge amounts of dough to knock down other big tough bruisers for our entertainment.

Would we like them to be role models for our kids? Of course. But let's face it, that ship sailed long ago on a sea of steroids, criminal charges, sex, drugs, rock 'n roll ... and slick negotiations for millions of dollars.

Top professional athletes aren't Rhodes scholars or diplomats -- nor should we expect them to be. They're ordinary guys with extraordinary talent who work hard and play hard and give their fans hundreds of pounds of flesh in every game.

That's exactly what Terrell Owens did for Philly. He has a big mouth, but a far bigger talent. And what would you rather see in the news after a game? Pundits dissing T.O. for "attitude" -- or recaps of another and another and another Eagles win?

The Eagles crashed and burned without T.O. the second half of last season and don't anybody dare be naive enough to think it happened because of him. I'm more disgusted with Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles suits for letting hubris get in the way of business. And it turns out in the end that the NFL Players Association sides with me.

Those in charge of the Eagles franchise need to get a grip and remember the fans -- not just for our moral support, but for the amount of money we shell out to support our team.

Eagles fans have gotten too comfortable ragging on the Cowboys. I have a feeling we'll be in for a rude awakending when Dallas, with T.O.'s help, starts ragging back on us bigtime.

As far as I'm concerned, T.O. is having the last laugh on his own web site. Funny or not, it's incredibly savvy marketing. Take a look at TerrellOwens.com and hear him say,

"It's been 3 long months. I've matured. I'm always hungry, I want to get better and better. That's what I take pride in doing. I play to win a game. I'm different. I'm a play maker. I'm a game changer. And when I score a touchdown I want to bring 'em to their feet..."

That kind of attitude isn't a bad thing to pass on to our kids -- not to mention to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Scientology Vs South Park? Wrong War

"War is not an adventure. It is a disease." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Everybody's all worked up because Tom Cruise might have influenced the airing (or rather 'non-airing') of one South Park episode -- out of pique over their treatment of Scientology.

And Isaac Hayes has quit as the voice of Chef, claiming the show demonstrates religious "intolerance and bigotry" -- code for "makes fun of Scientology." [Or maybe he hasn't, depends what you read.]

Bloggers are in a tizzy. Quotes from South Park creators are flying. It's now a major international news story.

Reality check: neither Cruise, Hayes, Scientology nor South Park has any meaningful impact on our lives. The War in Iraq does. It's costing us thousands of lives and billions of dollars and causing endless destruction -- all of which will shape our future for years to come.

Why the American public chooses to care more about a lunatic fringe of celebrities than about the dangerously mainstream fundamentalist Christian fanatics in the White House and Congress is a question for all of us.

First, Tom Cruise is an idiot, a pimp for a bogus religion and really, just a silly little man with a big fat over inflated ego.

Second, Isaac Hayes is a hypocrite and another Scientology stooge. He never protested when South Park skewered Christians, Catholics and Jews, but suddenly grew a conscience when they took on Scientology.

Third, Scientology is arguably the most ridiculous "religion" on the planet, based on one man's ultimate fantasy of outer space and on each believer's inner moron.

Finally--and most important--South Park is a TV show. It's satirical commentary disguised in sophomoric bathroom humor. You don't have to like it or even approve of it. You also don't have to watch it.

We not only have Freedom of Expression in this country, we have the freedom to ignore others' expressions.

We have Freedom to Worship. Which means any bozo can give his allegiance and life savings to a dumb cult like Scientology. And we can ignore them too. (If they'd only let us!)

Here's who and what we can't ignore.

Our president using born again fundamentalist Christian doctrine to justify taking us to war, overstepping his authority and maintaining a total lack of accountability other than to God.

Our Congress endangering civil and human rights based on religious ideologies, including literal, fundamentalist interpretations of the bible. The US Constitution--not the bible--is the foundation of our democracy.

Our Supreme Court deciding presidential elections on political and religious ideologies and worse, determining what women can and can't do with our own bodies based on personal religious beliefs. The most awesome responsibility in our country resides in this body, which was formed to interpret the Constitution, not the bible.

Yesterday was the third anniversary (what an inappropriate word for this travesty) of the War in Iraq. That--not the war between South Park and Scientology--should be our focus. And the real subject of impassioned commentary, serious debate and declarations of conscience by all of us.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

"Here's to a long life, and a merry one; a quick death, and an easy one; a pretty girl, and an honest one; a cold beer - and another one!" Old Irish toast

Yes, Bridget, the world's going the hell in a hand basket. But sometimes I just need a day off from the fray. Today's as good a day as any.

I'm Jewish, but they say everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day. My best friend is Irish, the oldest of 10. In her family, I'm considered the 11th.

My Irish credentials now established, I can proceed with the festivities and will expect no blowback.

In honor of St. Paddy's Day--and every other day, for that matter--here are a few comments about alcohol consumption.

Liquor manufacturers are putting the following warning labels on all alcohol containers:

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like an idiot.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may be a major factor in getting your ass kicked.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to mistake the bathtub for the toilet. This could be life-threatening if your wife is in the tub at the time.

WARNING: the crumsumpten of alcohol may Mack you tink you kan tpye reel gode.

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

In my capacity as the mother of a college student, here's one more:

THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:

> Indubitably
> Innovative
> Preliminary
> Proliferation
> Cinnamon

THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:

> Specificity
> British Constitution
> Passive-aggressive disorder
> Loquacious
> Transubstantiate

THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:

> Thanks, but I don't want to have sex.
> Nope, no more booze for me.
> Good evening officer, isn't it a lovely night.
> Sorry, but you're not my type.
> What? No, I couldn't do THAT.
> No one wants to hear me sing.
> Tomorrow even *I* will think I'm a jackass.

And finally, have a very Happy St. Patrick's Day and if you drink, DON'T DRIVE!

Church or State?

"The right of an individual to conduct intimate relationships in the intimacy of his or her own home seems to me to be the heart of the Constitution's protection of privacy." Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun

A friend just emailed this to me:

On Wednesday, March 1st, 2006, in Annapolis at a hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage, Jamie Raskin, professor of law at American University, was requested to testify.

At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?"

Professor Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."

What else is there to say?

My Night at the Waldorf with Ozzy Osbourne

"Though many bands have succeeded in earning the hatred of parents and media worldwide throughout the past few decades, arguably only such acts as Alice Cooper, Judas Priest and Marilyn Manson have tied the controversial record of Ozzy Osbourne." Barry Weber and Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week, which seems a fitting time to talk about my night with Ozzy at the Waldorf Hotel in 1997.

Before you go "Ewww" I should mention it wasn't an overnight. It was just an evening, and Sharon was there too. My role was to produce Ozzy's first public interview of the year--an AOL online chat--to kick off his umpteenth comeback Ozzfest tour and a new CD.

We met in a deluxe penthouse atop New York's posh Waldorf Astoria Hotel. 'Downtown Julie Brown' was the interviewer -- you might remember her as one of MTV's first VJ's. The next day Ozzy would announce the tour and sign The Ozzman Cometh CD's for his fans at Tower Records. But that night he was all mine. So to speak.

As a Boomer and a devoted fan of The Boss, Billy Joel and Motown, the prospect of meeting Ozzy Osbourne was far from my idea of nirvana.

Frankly, I'm an anti-fan of heavy metal and the only thing I knew about Ozzy is too disgusting to repeat.

Oh, okay, I'll tell, but remember, you asked for it.

Ozzy's "people" had only one ironclad stipulation about the interview: there would be no questions about bats. If you know what that means, you're smiling -- or gagging.

If you're shaking your head in confusion, here's the back story: in the 80's Ozzy and the heavy metal band Black Sabbath were serious alcohol and drug abusers. There were rumors of Satanism. During a now notorious concert a fan threw a live bat onto the stage. Ozzy bit its head off. Yes, really. (He supposedly thought it was fake, and had to cancel the show to have rabies vaccinations.)

I was more than a little creeped out by the idea of meeting Ozzy, even 16 years later. Not looking forward to spending time with a bizarre zonked out hard rocker. Yet it was up to me to help Ozzy connect with his fans on AOL. A challenge to say the least.

Expecting the worse, I was surprised and relieved when a pleasant, squeaky clean man in a navy velour Adidas track suit wandered into the room and rather diffidently asked if anyone had a Pepsi and an ashtray.

We'd set up a round table with two laptops. I would type the intro and questions and had recruited a nice kid named Sean from AOL's New York-based Bookreporter to type Ozzy's answers. We quickly added bottles of Pepsi and several ashtrays for Ozzy's omnipresent Marlboro Lights.

While we chatted before the interview I was struck by three things. Ozzy's glossy, glorious mane of hair. His name tattooed on his multi-ringed fingers. And his undeniable charm. Yes, really.

As the online interview progressed it became clear he's not all there. But what remains is a talented man with charisma to spare.

If you've seen him in his more recent incarnation as the befuddled, profane father in the MTV reality series The Osbournes, and paid some attention to the words between the expletive-deleted beeps, you know what I mean.

He is incredibly profane. But he's also smart. And witty. He's totally devoted to--and dependent upon--his wife Sharon. And he holds no illusions about his checkered past, its effect on his children ... and on other people's children too.

He spoke candidly about his former drug and alcohol abuse and urged his fans not to make the same mistakes.

One of his best lines came in the middle of the chat when a questioner asked about the extent of his drug use. "If they dropped a nuclear bomb on New York," Ozzy said. "The only things left alive would be cockroaches, Keith Richards and me."

Not a pretty picture. But as you might glean from the picture above--one of the many he graciously posed for in addition to signing studio photos for us and our kids--Ozzy Osbourne is actually a pretty nice guy.

Purim - The Whole Megillah

"Summing up the Purim holiday in 10 words or less: They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat." Rabbi Shraga Simmons

Did you know there's a Jewish holiday that commands all Jews to get drunk? Plus dress up in outrageous costumes, pamper themselves, eat to excess and party into the night. (And college students think they invented that. Ha!)

The holiday is called Purim and it's being celebrated in Jewish communities all over the world today.

Of course there's more to Purim than eating and drinking. As with many Jewish holidays, it's a celebration of the Jews' escape from persecution and death.

You may know the story of Purim from the bible -- as The Book of Esther. Jews call it the "Megillah," which translates to "revealing the hidden." Unlike any other book in the Old Testament, The Book of Esther keeps God's intervention hidden, and never refers to God by name.

The Book of Esther--The Megillah--teaches that the hand of God is hidden everywhere, guiding our fate. That we are challenged and tested for a reason. That obstacles are in fact opportunities God gives us to help become better Jews, and human beings.

Esther was God's instrument of the Jews' salvation in the Purim story, a complicated tale of politics and intrigue that happened in Persia (now Iran) 2,300 years ago.

Here's the Cliff Notes version.

A military leader named Achashverosh usurped the throne and became King of the Persian Empire. Believing his empire responsible for the Jews' permanent exile, he called for an enormous party. The Prime Minister, a rabid anti-Semite named Haman planned an empire-wide pogrom to eliminate the Jewish people for good.

Esther, a religious Jew had been forced to become Achashverosh's Queen. She and her uncle Mordechai, a highly regarded religious leader, discovered Haman's treachery. Esther exposed the plot to the king.

Achashverosh, who had come to love Queen Esther ordered Haman and his co-conspirator sons executed. He also allowed the Jews to defend themselves against the plot already in motion. They emerged victorious.

On Purim we celebrate the fact that the hand of God guides us, even at times when we do not see open miracles or obvious Divine intervention.

So why the eating, drinking and celebrating? Why do we give money to the poor and gifts of food to our friends? To celebrate deliverance from physical annihilation. To promote unity among Jews. Because drinking dulls the intellect, it is another reminder of the physical threat to all Jews.

And finally, masks and costumes show that truth always lies beneath the surface, that the physical world conceals spiritual reality. By the way, there isn't a little Jewish girl anywhere who doesn't want to be Queen Esther on Purim.

The true meaning of Purim is to provide a path to God through love and joy.

And that's the whole Megillah.


The ABC's of Purim - Purim with Aish, Purim: The Miracle of Jewish Survival

Yo, McClatchy! Don't Ditch the Inquirer

"Our two companies operate in the finest traditions of American journalism, devoted to independent, public interest reporting and the highest ethical values. Combining the two creates a company particularly well-positioned to lead the way in a changing media landscape. It's truly a chance for McClatchy to do more of what it does best." Gary Pruitt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McClatchy

A triple play's about to hit the Philadelphia Inquirer. Knight Ridder to McClatchy to (fill in the blank)_____?

I've been reading the Inquirer since childhood. I started to read books at age 4, newspapers around age 8. Since I'm a Boomer of a certain age, that means I've been reading the "Inkie" a looong time.

The Inquirer has reported on and represented the city of Philadelphia and its surrounding counties--plus half of New Jersey--for far longer than that. And with uncompromising excellence and style.

If you read it too, you have to know it's a first class newspaper, its pages peopled with top notch journalists and columnists. It's won 18 Pulitzer prizes and counting ... unless it's going down for the count.

Compared to so many newspapers these days whose independence and integrity often go to the highest bidder, the Inquirer has stood out as a beacon of solid, respectable, responsible journalism. Its online version is media savvy state of the art, with readership growing daily. It makes money.

Has anyone noticed I've just described everything Knight Ridder's new partner/owner purports to value? So why then is McClatchy hell bent on selling this outstanding landmark?

A real head-scratcher. Dan Rubin of Blinq, the Inquirer's Blog par excellance, has this to say Blinq: Bruises.

Rubin and Blinq are perfect examples of what an Oh Baby! McClatchy would toss out with the bath water. Named this year by Phila City Paper Most Transcendent Blog:

All Philly blogs are trend-worshipping, friend-promoting, slang-butchering cesspools of sarcasm and soullessness, right? Yeah, mostly, but Daniel Rubin's Blinq -- the webbed arm of the Inquirer, of all things -- manages to outwit and out-entertain its peers by remaining refreshingly unhip and utterly panoptic in its interests. Yeah, he's a blogger, so he often blogs about blogs, but Rubin's professional attitude and personal touches make Blinq feel more like a column than a mere newsletter of the weird.

Then there's the boffo review of Blinq by NYU's cutting edge journalism school on BluePlateSpecial.net.

Philly.com and Blinq make up the online tip of the Inquirer iceberg -- imagine what enormous depth lies beneath.

If McClatchy and company want "to lead the way in a changing media landscape," they need to take a harder look at the full body of work produced by the Philadelphia Inquirer, not just the bare bottom line.

Dana and Chris Reeve - And David

Click on picture for larger view.

"Not the senses I have but what I do with them is my kingdom." Helen Keller

Dana's Reeve's death is a tragedy. Compounded by the tragedy of her husband's life-altering accident and eventual death. It brought to mind someone I knew a long time ago. And the lessons, both practical and spiritual I learned from him.

Here is his story.

It was a beautiful October day. The kind of day you savor. Remember. But on this day, a life would change forever. In a way impossible to forget.

David's parents were in the stands cheering their 17-year-old son and his New Jersey high school football team. The quarterback threw a long pass. Nimble, graceful David caught it midfield and with his legendary speed began to run, opposing team members hot on his heels.

A tackle. A pile up. One by one the players got to their feet. Except David. He lay on the field. Still. Too still.

A mother knows her child's every move. And she knows how he looks when he's not moving. David's mother knew instantly his profound stillness was dangerously different. Not normal. Wrong.

As the first aid squad moved onto the field, David's father, a retired Army Colonel tried to reassure her. "He's just knocked out," he said. "He's tough, he'll get up in a minute when he comes to."

But she was already in motion, running toward her child, filled with a terrible dread. As they were carrying him to the ambulance David opened his eyes and smiled at her, his father's son, trying to allay her fears. "It's okay, Mom," he said. "It doesn't hurt anywhere."

Words that still echo in her memory. Because he didn't know then what his mother sensed instinctively, and the doctors soon confirmed. He was paralyzed from the neck down. A quadriplegic for life. He would never feel pain again. Small comfort. No comfort.

On a beautiful August day 13 years later, we were at our beach house in Ocean City. The sound of hammering woke us up at 8 am. Two men were fitting a wheel chair ramp over the steps to the house next door.

A big van pulled up and a man in a specially equipped wheel chair emerged, along with two women, two little girls and a toddler. We watched as the man was maneuvered up the ramp to the big porch facing the beach, then turned toward the sun and the ocean.

We took a thermos of coffee over to welcome our new neighbors. And met David. Along with his two full time nurses and their families. And entered a world we'd never known. One nobody should have to know. Yet thousands do.

Over the course of that summer, we experienced a small bit of what Dana and Chris Reeve--and far too many others--were forced to face. The mind-boggling enormity of the daily struggle with a catastrophic injury.

Get inside it for a minute. Imagine your chin itches. Then imagine having to ask someone else to scratch it for you. Picture a tube in your throat, connected to a machine 24/7 -- because you can't cough, or clear your throat or even breathe on your own.

You need round the clock care. All your bodily functions are managed by others. Diapers and dressings and catheters changed. Medications and treatments administered. You suffer constant infections, open sores, bouts of life-threatening pneumonia.

You must be dressed and undressed by someone else. You must be spoon fed. Soft food and liquids because you can barely swallow. Somebody must brush your teeth, wash your face and body, clip your nails, wipe your nose.

You have to ask someone to turn lights, television, music on and off. You've got to be lifted from bed to wheelchair and back, two of only three venues in which you can survive. (More on the third in a minute.)

You are a 30-year old adult trapped in the body of a helpless infant.

You can smile, grimace, turn your head, speak, laugh, curse, cry. That's it. That's all the control you have over your entire body. But you have infinite control over your mind. Your intellect. Your sense of humor. Your spirit.

And that's what saves you. If you have the Herculean courage to use those few vital tools left intact. Chris Reeve found the courage. So I'm sure do thousands of others. Including David.

David's sense of humor is what I remember best. He used to say if he could only move one arm again, the first thing he'd do was pick his nose. That made the kids giggle. Especially the boys, who regularly offered to pick it for him, as they'd all--including David--dissolve into laughter.

David loved kids. One of my favorite memories from that summer is watching David and the boys play. They'd position his wheelchair in the alley behind our houses. He'd turn his head away from the special tube near his mouth, thus releasing the airflow that moved the chair. And one by one, each kid would jump on a skateboard, grab the back of the chair and let David take him for a ride.

The children's easy acceptance of David's almost total disability was incredibly moving. Empowering. Life affirming. They'd climb in bed with him to watch videos and baseball on TV. Argue endlessly about sports -- David's passion. Bring him juice. Scratch his chin. Change the channel. Call for their mothers--his nurses--when needed.

Children caring for the needs of an adult. The irony of the role reversal unnoticed. My then 9-year-old son hung back at first. But eventually he too fell under the spell of David's charm. And forgot, or at least was able to ignore his grotesquely lifeless body.

Tami was David's primary nurse. His favorite. She'd attended college with him, taking his notes and helping him study. Writing papers and taking tests as he dictated. She earned that degree almost as much as he did. She, her husband and their two children were like family. And every summer they went to the beach with him, a vacation for them -- and a brief respite for David's parents.

David loved the sun. In the picture above, you can see his deep tan. Every day the monumental effort began to get David outside onto an air mattress (the third venue) in the sun. His ventilator had to be disconnected while he was moved. That meant for those few moments he couldn't breathe.

We joined in, all grabbing the edges of his bed sheet and carrying him as quickly as possible through the sliding doors to the porch. They'd been struggling with that air mattress, trying to keep it still, working mightily to lift him up onto it. I had an idea. Have the children sit on the edges at the head and foot, simultaneously holding it steady and lowering one side. It worked.

You have no idea how gratifying it is to help someone get life-saving oxygen a little sooner. To ease a frightening discomfort. To make one small difference. Those who care for the profoundly disabled know. And sometimes forget.

A story told to us by Tami. David once had a new nurse at home. He got a late phone call from a friend in California. The nurse propped the phone in its special cradle against his head, then left the room to give him some privacy. And fell asleep. After the call ended, David lay for 3 hours, a tortured captive to the dial tone. It would be months before he'd take a phone call alone again.

David worked as a statistician for the township, using his computer with Tami's help. He earned money. And the unwavering respect of everyone who knew him.

We stayed in touch after that summer, with David and with Tami and her family. But as often happens, life and time intervened and we drifted apart. I've thought of them many times over the last 13 years, wondering how David's doing.

When I started to write this, I tried to find out. But addresses and phone numbers have changed and I hit a wall. Then I tried Goggle. I can't know for certain, but I found a New Jersey memorial park in David's name.

I wish I'd been able to contribute to that memorial. But I've made a contribution honoring David and all the brave souls like him to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center.

If David is indeed gone, I hope he's with Chris and Dana Reeve, running in the sun.

Bush - Deal or No Deal?

"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." Abba Eban

No matter how much liberal Bloggers howl, gnash our teeth, compose brilliant polemics and write impassioned letters to the editor, it's abundantly clear we have no meaningful effect on the behavior of George W. Bush and his evil minions.

Yes, Bush's approval rating is at an all time--possibly historic--low. But that only means the public has finally begun to agree with us. It hasn't changed anything ... yet. It might have an impact on the next Congressional elections. Which could be our ultimate salvation.

So far nothing has stopped the president from (ugh) 'staying the course' at the continuing expense of thousands of lives and billions of taxpayer dollars. Or from appointing right wing judges. Or from condoning torture ... and corruption, fraud, bribery and other crimes committed by his subordinates and supporters.

Let's not forget the lying. About Iraq. Abu Gharib. Tax cuts. Medicare. Child care. Pollution control. Katrina. Rove. Abramoff. The egregious betrayal of public trust. The arrogant, irresponsible, willful disregard of those most in need. And the inexcusable ineptitude.

Our president has turned America into an international joke.

So what can we do? How can we face nearly 3 more years of this man's malignant influence, his destructive assault on American lives, liberties and freedoms?

Where do we turn? To the impotent Democratic party with its staggering lack of leadership and cohesion? To the national media, hamstrung by right wingnuts or corporate eunuchs? To MoveOn.org and other political non-profits struggling to be heard? To Cindy Sheehan? Roy Nagin?

Nope.

We wait. A sea change is coming. It's happening already.

Conservative Republicans in Congress are increasingly fed up with a leader so incompetent, short-sighted and bull-headed he's jeopardized their perfect little Napoleonic world.

He's becoming an embarrassment. A hindrance. A gigantic albatross. And if he continues on his destructive course, if their power and influence continues to wane and the money tree's cut down ... come election time they'll turn on him like a pack of jackals.

I hope. And pray. In the meantime, let's all continue to howl.

Virtual Bodies

Please Note: If I appear to be obsessed with breasts in back-to-back posts yesterday and today, it's pure coincidence, I assure you. (Hmm. I wonder, is there a sweeps week for blogs?)



"We all live every day in virtual environments, defined by our ideas." Michael Crichton

It's amazing what companies will do to promote online sales.

Virtual Model
Take for example the image of me up there. Well, not the actual me, the Virtual Me. More specifically, it's my Virtual Model. And it helps me shop online with greater predictability of success.

I created my Land's End Virtual Model digitally by inputting my own height, weight, measurements, dress size, body type, age and a few other details into the Create tool. If you're honest--which I was, really!--it turns out a fairly accurate representation. (Not counting the missing knee surgery scar and a few freckles.)

As you can see, my model is garbed in the bare essentials, allowing me to try on clothes, bathing suits and lingerie in the privacy of my Virtual Dressing Room. I can even turn my model 360. And believe me, the back view is a lot better on my computer screen than under the harsh lighting of a department store dressing room.

I've bought quite a few things based on my virtual model, including two bathing suits. Everything fit as well on the real me as it did on my virtual self.

Virtual Try-On
So when I found framesdirect.com, I wasn't hesitant about clicking to try on eyeglasses. You can upload your own picture, but beware, it has to be a full face close up 5 x 7 or you get some hilariously out of whack results.

The site's software helps you center your face and eyes, determine the size and shape of your face and then suggests the most flattering frames. You can try a wide variety of styles, shapes and colors on your own picture, then order your choice(s) online.

I've worn contacts forever but glasses are in, and with my lousy vision much more comfortable. I view glasses as 'face jewelry.' They can enhance, conceal, even change your look. I have a lot of glasses and am always on the lookout for a new, unique pair.

Virtual Bounce-Ometer
Speaking of a unique pair ... the last site on my list takes the virtual body to the very edge of good taste. Actually, it drop-kicks taste right over the line. The Shock Absorber web site from the UK aims to sell you a state of the art exercise bra -- by showing you naked bouncing breasts.

First they scare the hell out of you with claims that exercising unsupported can badly damage your breasts. Then they show you how on the Bounce-Ometer -- by projecting a pair of naked virtual breasts bouncing in a variety of exercise speeds, customized to your very own cup size. And they give you a side view too.

Now that the men have left to go see all those virtual bouncing boobs, I gotta tell you, Ladies, it's painful to watch. They show you three views: No Bra, Normal Bra and Shock Absorber Bra. Tell me if you notice one odd thing ... the breasts seem to bounce even more wildly within the normal bra than they do nude.

It's legitimate commerce of course, just European-style, with its customary edginess and flair we so lack in hypocritically puritanical America. On the other hand, I'm not sure how effective it is. I'd personally be more convinced by video of a real woman running bounce-free in the Shock Absorber -- most of us already know the uncomfortable alternatives.

But this is the Internet, where the Virtual is prized more highly than the Real.

Nude Oscar Nominees

"Odysseus saw the sirens; they were charming,
Blonde, with snub breasts and little neat posteriors"
John Streeter Manifold

I'll be watching the Oscars tonight with a whole new sensibility. And not necessarily in a good way. Because thanks to ohnotheydidn't, I have now seen nude pics of all this year's female nominees.

Maybe it's the source, Celebritease or maybe it's our can't-be-too-thin culture. But one thing stands out, so to speak, about these pics -- the big sellers are small breasts.

I'm a bit confused. I thought medium to large breasts were preferred for display purposes. Consider Hooters if not Playboy. Remember the thousands of breast implants done every year. Look for masses of plumped up cleavage on any Red Carpet.

So what's the deal here? I'm no film expert but I guess I'd have to say: Big Talent = Little Breasts. Think I'm wrong? Compare Judi Dench, Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand for example, to Paula Abdul, JayLo or Jessica Simpson. 'Nuff said.

Oh, one more thing. Reese Witherspoon may or may not win the Oscar for Best Actress tonight. But if you're a fan you'll be pleased to know she's already won the Nude Nominees comments award for Best Breasts.

Travel Tales

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." Saint Augustine

Anyone who's noticed my sporadic postings the past two weeks knows I just got back from a trip to Israel.

I like traveling. Been doing it for years, all over the world. I'm not afraid to fly. And I look forward to those ships-passing-in-the-night meetings with people from different countries and cultures.

But going to Israel is a very long trip. I don't like 14-hour plane rides -- that's just too much time to have my respiratory system and personal space invaded by strangers. Plus, no airline flies there direct from Philly.

So I break up the trip, fly to Europe and change planes for Tel Aviv. I've tried several routes and settled on Frankfort as my stop-off destination of choice. Say what you will about the Germans--and as a Jew I've said plenty--they are incredibly efficient.

German airlines and airports are models of proficiency and cleanliness. The German people are ceaselessly polite. They speak English proudly, without the supercilious attitude of many Europeans that says they're doing you a favor because you're too provincial to learn another language.

Many Israelis speak English too, and like the Germans, do so without condescension.

Israelis don't seem as efficient as the Germans, but that's a ruse. Try getting past an Israeli security agent, who chats you up in the security line as if you're on a first date. And manages to learn more about you in five minutes than if you'd been in a long term relationship.

I don't mind. I want him to be that thorough with everyone. Because then I know once I'm on the plane, my only concern will be how to pass the time.

On my flight from Philly to Frankfort I sat next to a cultured but troubled art dealer who confessed he was having a hard time getting his widowed mother to leave Iran and move in with him and his American family in the states.

Frankfort to Tel Aviv netted me a woman so morbidly obese she needed a seatbelt extension. But as always, appearances can be deceiving. She turned out to be a member of the Iraqi parliament, en route to a third round of trade negotiations with the Israeli government.

On my return trip from Tel Aviv to Frankfort we had some excitement. There was a group of Christian pilgrims in the airport. Waiting in the security line I watched a white-haired lady in a flowered dress become increasingly irate with the polite but determined questioning of a security official.

Then she said the magic words, "What do you think we are, terrorists?" How dumb could she be? As it turns out, very. "We're from Kansas," she continued in high dudgeon, "We only came to your little kike country to walk in the footsteps of Christ Our Lord."

Everyone froze. Dead silence. And a dangerous look on the faces of the usually phlegmatic Israeli security agents.

The plane was delayed, but eventually they let her and her humiliated husband on board. And we wonder why foreigners don't like Americans.

I had an empty seat next to mine on that flight, and was glad of it.

Frankfort to Philly was a different story. A German businessman, gravely polite. He was about my age, which put him post WWII with parents squarely in the middle of it.

When I mentioned I was traveling home from Israel, he spoke frankly of his generation's guilt over their country’s actions during the war. His late father had been a member of the Nazi party, he told me, but his mother refused to discuss that or anything to do with the war. "She's very wrong," he said ruefully. "We can't change the past by ignoring it. I have told my own children all I know. I don't want them to make similar mistakes."

I told him of the Church Lady on my previous flight. He sighed. "Imagine if a German had said such a thing. You'd still be sitting on that plane."

I thought about that. And about the ignorance and bigotry behind her remarks. And about how many good, decent human beings--Righteous Gentiles like my various seat mates--there were in the world to refute the past and combat the hostility of the present.

Travel broadens more than my horizons. It also increases my hope.

Questions About the Katrina Tapes

Video, AP

"It doesn't come as a surprise that there's footage showing…everyone knew everything in excruciating detail. What is a surprise is that given the billions that the government has spent on homeland security and developing all these response-to-disaster plans…nothing worked right." Ivor van Heerden, director of the hurricane public health center, Louisiana State University

I have some fundamental questions about the videos and transcripts of high level government Katrina meetings released by AP. You have many of the same questions I'm sure.

1. Why didn't the president ask any questions in the critical pre-Katrina briefing?

With my own background in politics and media, plus experience in national disasters, I can think of about a dozen. Even without that kind of knowledge, I bet you can too.

I look at that particular tape and see the stark reality many of us have feared since Day 1 -- our president is a puppet. A severely limited non-thinker with an appalling lack of imagination or genuine interest in anything beyond the one-dimensional.

He can't think in layers or wrap his brain around hypotheticals. He certainly can't multitask. And when faced with complex decision-making, he falters. And falls back on cowboy bravado and political platitudes.

If I wasn't scared before, I am now.

2. Why did Michael Brown just bend over and take the blame?

Those tapes and transcripts have been around all this time. Obviously everyone at the meetings knew the content. So that leads to:

a. Did Michael Brown have no friends willing to help him by leaking the tapes when the country was wiping the floor with Brown?
b. Or is this why Brown was demoted but not fired and has been so apparently, arrogantly unrepentent?
c. And why did Brown claim the president "is very engaged, and he's asking a lot of really good questions I would expect him to ask."

3. Why did Michael Chertoff stay so noticeably unengaged and emerge so unscathed?

4. Who is going to get off his/her ass and lead a concerted, long overdue effort to impeach President Bush for this and other crimes against the American people?