Benefit Screening Across The Country For Michael Moore’s Movie, “Capitalism: A Love Story”
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 1st, 2009
Hellooo…
Well, Michael Moore’s movie “Capitalism: A Love Story” is hitting the theaters all across the country tomorrow. But today Michael has a gift for all of you that unfortunately have lost your home or your job. Read his letter below:
Friends,
We’re just one day away from the widest opening I’ve ever had for any of my movies. Tomorrow, Friday, October 2nd, “Capitalism: A Love Story” opens on over a thousand screens across the United States, a record for an independent documentary.
This follows last weekend’s limited opening in New York and L.A. where “Capitalism” set the box office record for the highest per screen average of ANY movie released so far this year. Not just any documentary – any MOVIE! It was, as the studio said, a good indicator of just how well the movie may do when it goes wide this weekend. I sincerely hope they’re right because I believe deeply in this film.
To kick off the national release of “Capitalism: A Love Story,” I’ve asked the studio to offer a number of screenings in the nation’s hardest hit cities — the ones with the highest unemployment rates and highest foreclosure rates — where those who’ve lost their jobs or who are in foreclosure (or have already been evicted) may attend my film free of charge. They’ve agreed, and so tonight (Thursday), the night before our opening day, ten cities will grant you free admission if you have fallen on hard times. The list of theaters and cities is below. You don’t need to bring any “proof” of your situation — just show up — it’s the honor system, no questions asked.
Of course, a free movie ain’t much when what you really need is a job or a place to live. And that’s not going to change until the party that controls both the Congress and the White House wakes up and realizes the American people put them in charge to fix the mess created by the previous administration. For that to happen requires the active involvement of each of us. And, as I show in this movie, it’s going to also require us to challenge some fundamental assumptions about an economic system that currently allows the wealthiest ONE PERCENT in this country to have more financial wealth than the bottom 95% combined. That concentration of money and power in the hands of so few people is, I believe, at the core of so many of our problems.
So, if you’re going through tough times and you live in one of the areas below, please be my guest tonight, on the eve of my new film’s opening. Seating will be on a first come, first served basis.
Also, in another five cities tonight, I have made the film available to local groups to hold benefit screenings to raise money for their local organizations — organizations which are working toward a day when a filmmaker doesn’t have to offer free screenings to people who’ve been put through the wringer. If you live in any of these areas (see below for the list of benefit premieres tonight), please come out and support the good work of these grassroots groups.
So, until tomorrow, thanks for your support, and I’ll see ya at the movies!
Yours,
Michael Moore
Awesome. I can’t wait to see it this weekend.
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Ruth: Interesting article. My first thought was, Polanski should be arrested. He left the country after he admitted raping her, to save his ass and escape being prosecuted. At least that is the story that I heard. (Correct me if I’m wrong please.) Just because it is 30 years later doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, even if the woman is over it. Time doesn’t dismiss the dirty deed.
Nor should being gifted dismiss it either. Were it just some Joe the plumber, we most likely wouldn’t be having this discussion. It disgusts me that people revere hollywood and stars as if they were more special than the average Joe. And I’m shocked by the likings of women such as Debra Winger who so easily dismiss his actions because of his genius. It’s women like her that push us back in our struggle to be equal. If women aren’t going to stick up for women, what message does that give to the young girls our there, not to mention the men?
On a side note, I can tell you one thing…..A woman can’t rape a man, let alone, rape a 13-year old boy. It just can’t happen. If a man gets aroused, he wants it…he’s consenting to it whether he’s 13 or 50. You can’t have sex if the dick isn’t hard. So, I’m not saying it’s okay for a woman to have sex with a minor, but you can’t call it rape. A woman on the other hand can be as dry as the desert and that won’t stop a man from raping her. It happens all the time. That’s my opinion. But hey, readers, if you feel differently, I’d love to hear from you.
Anyway, Ruth, I agree with you….it does say a lot about the state of things.
Paul: I’m sorry that happened to you. But I’m glad that you found the ad even it your friend didn’t. The other thing I have no control over is how long the ad stays up. Sometimes if a page is refreshed the ad stays constant and sometimes a new ad is posted. FYI: The ads are placed relevant to my sites content, and they change with each post depending on the content of each individual post. My suggestion for your friend would be to go to the day (post) where you saw the ad. It might still be there or it might come up.
I know that is not much of a solution but I appreciate you bringing this up as I am learning a few things. One: I know that people are looking at the ads and clicking, because I check the numbers everyday. But that if one wants to find the ad again, it can be difficult. And two: In the future, it would behoove me to acquire paid advertisers so that I can control what ads are placed and how long they will be up and running. Thanks Paul.
Zen Lill: Sorry that I’ve been behind in my correspondence to you. Got your phone call the other day but I have been busy with work and my new fashion venture. Maybe we can chat toward the end of the week? Happy to hear things are going good and my women readers are benefiting from your health writes. :)
Al: Thanks for the interesting article again and for posting the series. They were well worth the reads. I am assuming that this is the last of them since you included the link? Bummer.
Anna: Your post made me laugh. You have quite the following that depends on you. :) Happy to see you back here.
Alvina: I was so sorry to hear about Samoa last night and Indonesia. However I am happy to hear that you are safe since you are writing me here. I didn’t know I had a following in Samoa. Nor a male admirer. I do get his horny drift but please do me the honor and smack him for me :) It is my goal to be able to travel again, soon and lots…maybe Samoa will be a destination. How could I resist a parade for moi?! Be well…I am sure some of my readers will be able to help.
Ah…I see a few more comments have come in but I need to run….See ya tomorrow.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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October 1st, 2009 at 9:50 am
JB,
Does it bother YOU that sex with a 13-year-old girl is unequivocally against the law? Or is it okay if she’s, like, really hot and pretty developed for her age? Also, in 1977 prosecuting sexual assault had a totally different set of standards. In 1977 a woman’s sexual history could be put on trial. Also, was she asking for it? I mean, she did go to Jack Nicholson’s house to be with him alone, and even her mother allowed her to do it.
Not the point, JB! She was a 13-year-old girl scared out of her mind, confused and drugged, who repeated asked to leave while he was sodomizing her in Jack Nicholson’s hot tub. Plus, Polanski totally agreed that he drugged and raped her, he just pled down because he was given the option. Sexual assault cases in 1977 were murkier and even more male-favored than they are now.
October 1st, 2009 at 9:55 am
I respectfully disagree with your statement that a boy cannot be raped. You are correct in that his arousal may mean he “wants it”, however the “it” that he wants is blanketed with confusion and raging hormones to which he is not fully familiar with and/or understands. The woman who is doing the arousing is much more familiar with these feelings and knows more about how to control her feelings of arousal and should not take her position, just as a man does, to manipulate the other person.
October 1st, 2009 at 10:03 am
Zen Lill
Thanks for keeping us exercising. I have been trying to get in but I can’t hope you get this.
My hold family is not aboard, even my father.
Barbara
October 1st, 2009 at 10:58 am
Doug
I have always agreed with what you have said on this blog. But this time I respectfully have to disagree. Human physiology makes it impossible for a boy to be raped when penetration is involved.
Not only must the male be hard enough to penetrate, he must be sufficiently interested mentally to continue the hard on.
Males perpetuate the myth that they can be raped to avoid their responsibility for the act. Whatever the “raging” hormones the male is going through at the time, the point is that those “raging hormones” only occur when there is a MENTAL DESIRE for the object that is put before him.
I.E. it does not matter the woman’s interest, if she is not physically appealing to the male, he will not be able to sustain a penis hard enough to penetrate the woman. So the woman could be guilty of statutory rape because he is not of legal age.
That would be equivalent to the willing female not being of age. So on that point you would be right. But unlike the female if the male is not willing he can not be forced to have intercourse against his will.
The point is the male could NEVER suffer the mental trauma that a female could as a result of unlawful intercourse. One could argue that a mother could seduce her son before he is aware that having intercourse with his mother is taboo in his culture.
Now the mental anguish could be supposed. But actually psychologically males are biologically engineered to adapt to this because their is a gene that supports the procreation of the species that lessens the mental impact.
Many psychologists use the principle when employing the oedipus complex in their treatments. Male revenge is the main object of the emphasis on prosecuting women so severely for having sex with male minors.
You and I both know that is and will always be a young boys dream to have an older woman “seduce” him. The fact that he can now assert rape is a benefit bestowed on him by his male elders to make it more advantageous to the male.
Now once he gets it he can blackmail the “slut” to continue the experience less he has her prosecuted for rape. Great advantage if you can get it.
Nick
October 1st, 2009 at 11:13 am
Zen Lill
We are very pleased with your exercises and the way you put the other things with them.
Uwella
October 1st, 2009 at 11:56 am
Michelle
Sir
We have discovered that Initi has died trying to merge his Ula with his craft on Io. He was not able to dock without an additional pilot on Io to guide the Ula to the critical point. We erred in thinking a lone pilot could do both simultaneously.
As a result we will have to remain outside your suns solar flare range until we factor in its current explosion rate.
Sir
Myra
October 1st, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I found this. It is interesting about the probiotic craze.
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When the label tells you the food you are buying “contains probiotics,” are you getting health benefits or just marketing hype? Perhaps a bit of both.
Well
Share your thoughts on this column at the Well blog.
Go to Well »
Probiotics are live micro-organisms that work by restoring the balance of intestinal bacteria and raising resistance to harmful germs. Taken in sufficient amounts, they can promote digestive health and help shorten the duration of colds. But while there are thousands of different probiotics, only a handful have been proved effective in clinical trials. Which strain of bacteria a given product includes is often difficult to figure out.
There is no standard labeling requirement to help buyers make sense of probiotic products. The word “probiotic” on the label is not enough information to tell whether a given product will be effective for a particular health concern. Just as a doctor would prescribe different antibiotics for strep throat or tuberculosis, different probiotic species and strains confer different health benefits.
“It’s a huge problem for the consumer to try to make heads or tails of whether the products that are out there really work,” said Dr. Shira Doron, an assistant professor of medicine at Tufts.
Consider Lactobacillus, a probiotic that comes in a number of strains, among them: Lactobacillus GG (often called LGG), which can be found in the diet supplement Culturelle as well as several milk products in Finland; L. casei DN114 001, included in Dannon products; and L. casei Shirota, found in Yakult, a popular probiotic drink from Japan.
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Ruth
October 1st, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Nick,
Have you ever considered the thousands of rape incidents where men are overpowered by stronger males? As in a prison setting. The weaker male does not need to be aroused in the least in this sic senario.
Therefore a male can indeed be raped by another male, or a female guard with a tubular object.
I have been to jail and this happens everyday, to anybody who does not have the physical strenght to fight off his attackers, or the friends needed to fend off such an attack.
I am talking of county jail where one might end up for letting his drivers license expire, or some minor offense such as that.
Jails exist to make a profit these days. Last I knew the state made $200.00 a day for every federal convict it held. The county was paid $200.00 by the state for each state prisoner it held.
Not bad for $.50 worth of baloney sandwiches on week old bread.
Males do get raped and oftend, thank God it has not happened to me.
Nick you are foolish.
Myra, my heart goes out to Initi, were you close?
Al
October 1st, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Nick,
Nicely stated, and I do understand your points regarding the physiological issues involved.
Al,
Your points on male penetration are also valid and understood. Keep out of jail…
Thanks
October 1st, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Okay for those of you still waiting for me to tell you about the next storm to hit
Guam here it is.
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Governor Declares Condition 3; Damaging Winds Within 48 Hours
Guam – At 10:00 a.m. (ChST) Governor Felix P. Camacho placed Guam in Condition of Readiness 3 (COR 3) in response to Typhoon Melor (20W). COR 3 means damaging winds of 39-57 MPH are expected within 48 hours.
Governor Camacho in coordination with the Guam Homeland Security Advisor, Frank Ishizaki has also called for the partial activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Heavy Weather Briefs are currently being conducted for all Mayors, Government of Guam Department and Agency heads and Emergency Support Function (ESF) Coordinators. All Government of Guam departments and agencies are in accordance with the Guam Emergency Response Plan (GERP) are reminded to begin initiating their typhoon checklists.
The military is also in COR 3.
At 8:00 a.m., a Tropical Storm Warning was issued for Guam. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours.
As of 8:00 a.m. (ChST), the center of Typhoon Melor (20W) was located at 14.2 degrees North Latitude and 151.1 degrees East Longitude about 430 miles East of Guam.
Typhoon Melor (20W) is moving West at 6 MPH with maximum sustained winds of 130 MPH and is expected to continue a West-Northwest track with a slight increase in forward speed for the next 12-24 hours.
Weather officials anticipate Typhoon Melor (20W) to intensify into a Super Typhoon as it approaches the Marianas and will continue to monitor the movement of this storm closely. The closest point of approach for Guam will occur late Saturday afternoon. Residents can expect tropical storm conditions with winds of 40 MPH.
All residents are advised of the following:
Motorist should exercise extreme caution while driving, as heavy rain and ponding can create unsafe driving conditions.
Avoid beaches and waters as high surf and strong currents can be life threatening.
Prepare your homes, stock your emergency supply kits and continue to monitor local media for updated information.
For more information please contact Ms. Lesley Leon Guerrero, Guam Homeland Security Public Affairs Officer at (671) 687-9109 or (671) 483-9600.
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Hafa adai
Anna
October 1st, 2009 at 8:38 pm
RUBMAN ON THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF WHEAT
Did you know that grains are actually among the first “processed foods” in the human diet? They didn’t become a dietary staple until the agricultural revolution began in the mid-19th century. Unlike meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables, grains aren’t typically eaten in their natural state — rather, they’re first milled (processed) to help make them more digestible.
Even with processing, many grains often present difficulties, says Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew Rubman, ND. And, he adds, wheat — of all the grains — is actually one of the most challenging foods in our modern diet. It often is the culprit behind an array of digestive, allergic and autoimmune problems.
When experts discuss digestive problems associated with wheat, it is usually within the context of celiac disease — a serious autoimmune disease in which people cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye and barley. In truth though, many — maybe even most — people have trouble digesting wheat. This is because gluten damages the tissue that lines the digestive tract of nearly all mammals, Dr. Rubman explains.
WHAT MAKES WHEAT TOUGH TO SWALLOW
The mucosal walls of a healthy digestive tract are lined with tiny fingerlike protrusions called villi, which facilitate the absorption of nutrients from food, explains Dr. Rubman. Gluten causes degenerative changes in the villi, impairing their function.
Once damaged, the villi are less able to absorb nutrients from food, which leads to assorted problems, including fatigue, abdominal bloating and water retention. This slows the metabolism, causing sluggish digestion and accumulation of waste.
Over time, this can lead to what Dr. Rubman calls “leaky gut syndrome,” in which intestinal walls deteriorate and become more permeable, allowing waste, toxins, bacteria and partially digested food particles to escape into circulation and cause inflammatory damage elsewhere in the body.
If you are having digestive difficulties, especially IBS and abdominal bloating, wheat may be the cause. Dr. Rubman suggests that a good way to find out whether this is so is to completely eliminate wheat from your diet for two weeks.
You may find yourself craving wheat and you may also notice an increase in digestive disturbances in the first few days, both of which will slowly subside and eventually vanish. After two weeks, try a single serving — a small bowl of pasta, a sandwich on whole-wheat bread or some cereal — and monitor how your body responds over the next 24 hours. Pay particular attention to such symptoms as cramping, nausea and intestinal gas.
This self-test will give you information about how your body tolerates gluten. Trial and error can identify how often — and in what quantities — you can consume it without ill effects. Dr. Rubman says that this provides better information even than the conventional blood and saliva tests your doctor would order.
Such tests are often unable to demonstrate early onset wheat intolerance, and are more useful at diagnosing celiac disease once it has advanced to the point where your body has developed certain antibodies, at which point you should quit eating wheat altogether.
DR. RUBMAN’S SOLUTION: MODERATION
Most people would feel better if they ate less wheat — but if you don’t have celiac disease or are otherwise intolerant of wheat, Dr. Rubman says it is fine to enjoy it in moderation. He advises against eating it daily, recommending instead that you work with your body’s natural digestive cycle.
It takes about 72 hours for the lining of an average person’s intestine to turn over, exposing a new layer of healthy mucosa and a new set of healthy villi, which are ready to deal with a new onslaught of gluten.
This means that you can safely consume grains every three days, more or less, depending on your individual susceptibilities and how healthy the rest of your diet is. Noting that he lives in an area renowned for its Italian culinary influences and restaurants, Dr. Rubman told me that he personally enjoys pasta as his grain-based food of choice, eating it an average of twice a week.
Source(s):
Andrew Rubman, ND, medical director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut, http://www.naturopath.org.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Michelle
this might be of use to your readers.
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Simple approach saves lives
There’s a crisis unfolding right beneath our noses: Americans are being killed by prescription drug errors and other medical mistakes.
I recently read a series from Hearst newspapers called “Dead by Mistake” which estimates that nearly 200,000 Americans die unnecessarily every year due to medical errors, and many of these deaths are caused by drugs. Another study, from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine, found 400,000 annual preventable drug-related injuries.
To put that in perspective, our biggest city in here on Montana — Billings — barely has 100,000 people.
But these aren’t just numbers. These are all real folks like you and me, people who followed orders from doctors and nurses and ended up sick or dead.
In Florida, two expectant mothers paid the ultimate price when they were accidentally given a drug used to force dead fetuses out of the womb. One of the mothers gave premature birth, and her baby suffered severe brain damage.
The other, who had been pregnant with twins, lost both babies.
All because they were given the wrong drug. Nurses said the doctors had bad handwriting, and the med they needed had a similar name to the one they were mistakenly given.
Hospitals, doctors, researchers and other so-called experts have all sorts of convoluted ideas that they say will help prevent these mistakes. Most of them involve computers, drug-tracking systems and other complex high-tech solutions. But I’ve got an even better idea, one that doesn’t involve any pricey equipment: Stop prescribing so darn many needless meds.
We’ve created a society hooked on drugs, thanks to doctors who don’t know how to treat any condition without their prescription pads, and pharmacies running in constant overdrive to fill an endless chain of pill bottles.
Think about this next time you sit there at the pharmacy waiting an hour or more for your prescription: A recent study in the Journal of the American Pharmacological Association found that 1 in 30 is filled incorrectly.
So take a good look around you next time you’re there. Try counting all the other customers that come and go while you wait for your meds. Chances are, it won’t be long before you reach 30.
Then wonder which one of you will get the wrong drugs or dose. Will it be the mother getting an antibiotic for her sick child? The man picking up painkillers for his back? That college kid receiving a refill of his antidepressants?
Or will it be you?
Don’t become another one of these needless statistics. Don’t just swallow any old pill your doctor or pharmacist gives you without doing some homework. If meds are unavoidable, ask questions until you’re satisfied.
But in many cases, you can avoid these drugs in the first place if you ask about alternatives. There often are, and if there’s one that will allow you to avoid the prescription pad, then I’d urge you to consider it.
And if your doctor is unable or unwilling to talk about your choices, then it’s time to find a new doctor.
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Helena
October 1st, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Hafa adai
Okay for those of you not checking the net, here is the latest.
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Melor Rapidly Intensifies: Storm Watch For Guam, Typhoon Watch For NMI
Top Stories
Written by Guam News Factor Staff Writer
Thursday, 01 October 2009 21:58
GUAM – According to an advisory issued by the National Weather Service at 10:05 p.m. (ChST), Typhoon Melor is still rapidly intensifying.
A Typhoon Watch remains in effect for Rota, Tinian and Saipan. A Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for Guam.
A Typhoon Watch means typhoon conditions, including winds of 74 mph or more, are possible within 48 hours.
A Tropical Storm Watch means tropical storm conditions, including winds of 39 to 73 mph, are possible within 48 hours.
A Tropical Storm Watch means Tropical Storm Conditions, including winds of 39 to 73 mph, are possible within 48 hours.
At 7:00 p.m. (ChST), the center of Typhoon Melor was located near 14.0 degrees north latitude and 152.0 degrees east longitude.
This is about 425 miles east of Saipan, 430 miles east of Tinian, 455 miles east of Rota, and 490 miles east of Guam.
Typhoon Melor is moving west-northwest at 10 mph. Movement along this track is expected to continue during the next 24 to 48 hours.
Maximum sustained winds are 120 mph. Melor is expected to continue to intensify.
Situation Overview
When making decisions, do not focus on the exact forecast track. Melor is expected to continue intensifying and moving west-northwest toward the Marianas. Melor will be a large and dangerous system before it reaches the Marianas. The radius of damaging winds already extends far from the center. The onset of damaging winds is possible in the Northern Marianas early Saturday morning — and Saturday afternoon on Guam.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions
People are urged to remain informed and listen for any significant changes to the forecast. Do not listen to rumors or uninformed opinions. Rather, seek authoritative information from your local National Weather Service Office and Emergency Management or Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense. Mariners should keep informed of the latest coastal waters forecast.
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Peter
October 1st, 2009 at 9:15 pm
We have all been led to believe that cholesterol is bad and that lowering it is good. Because of extensive pharmaceutical marketing to both doctors and patients we think that using statin drugs is proven to work to lower the risk of heart attacks and death.
But on what scientific evidence is this based, what does that evidence really show?
Roger Williams once said something that is very applicable to how we commonly view the benefits of statins. “There are liars, damn liars, and statisticians.”
We see prominent ads on television and in medical journals — things like 36% reduction in risk of having a heart attack. But we don’t look at the fine print. What does that REALLY mean and how does it affect decisions about who should really be using these drugs.
Before I explain that, here are some thought provoking findings to ponder.
• If you lower bad cholesterol (LDL) but have a low HDL (good cholesterol) there is no benefit to statins. (i)
• If you lower bad cholesterol (LDL) but don’t reduce inflammation (marked by a test called C-reactive protein), there is no benefit to statins. (ii)
• If you are a healthy woman with high cholesterol, there is no proof that taking statins reduces your risk of heart attack or death. (iii)
• If you are a man or a woman over 69 years old with high cholesterol, there is no proof that taking statins reduces your risk of heart attack or death. (iv)
• Aggressive cholesterol treatment with two medications (Zocor and Zetia) lowered cholesterol much more than one drug alone, but led to more plaque build up in the arties and no fewer heart attacks. (v)
• 75% of people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol
• Older patients with lower cholesterol have higher risks of death than those with higher cholesterol. (vi)
• Countries with higher average cholesterol than Americans such as the Swiss or Spanish have less heart disease.
• Recent evidence shows that it is likely statins’ ability to lower inflammation it what accounts for the benefits of statins, not their ability to lower cholesterol.
So for whom do the statin drugs work for anyway? They work for people who have already had heart attacks to prevent more heart attacks or death. And they work slightly for middle-aged men who have many risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure, obesity, or diabetes.
So why did the 2004 National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines expand the previous guidelines to recommend that more people take statins (from 13 million to 40 million) and that people who don’t have heart disease should take them to prevent heart disease. Could it have been that 8 of the 9 experts on the panel who developed these guidelines had financial ties to the drug industry? Thirty-four other non-industry affiliated experts sent a petition to protest the recommendations to the National Institutes of Health saying the evidence was weak. It was like having a fox guard the chicken coop.
It’s all in the spin. The spin of the statistics and numbers. And it’s easy to get confused. Let me try to clear things up.
When you look under the hood of the research data you find that the touted “36% reduction” means a reduction of the number of people getting heart attacks or death from 3% to 2% (or about 30-40%).
And that data also shows that treatment only really works if you have heart disease already. In those who DON’T have documented heart disease, there is no benefit.
In those at high risk for heart disease about 50 people would need to be treated for 5 years to reduce one cardiovascular event. Just to put that in perspective: If a drug works, it has a very low NTT (number needed to treat). For example, if you have a urine infection and take an antibiotic, you will get near a 100% benefit. The number needed to treat is “1″. So if you have an NTT of 50 like statins do for preventing heart disease in 75% of the people who take them, it is basically a crap shoot.
Yet at a cost of over $28 billion a year, 75% of all statin prescriptions are for exactly this type of unproven primary prevention. Simply applying the science over 10 years would save over $200 billion. This is just one example of reimbursed but unproven care. We need not only prevent disease but also prevent the wrong type of care.
If these medications were without side effects, then you may be able to justify the risk – but they cause muscle damage, sexual dysfunction, liver and nerve damag,e and other problems in 10-15% of patients who take them. Certainly not a free ride.
So if lowering cholesterol is not the great panacea that we thought, how do we treat heart disease, and how do we get the right kind of cholesterol – high HDL, low LDL and low triglycerides and have cholesterol particles that are large, light and fluffy rather than small, dense and hard, which is the type that actually causes heart disease and plaque build up.
We know what causes the damaging small cholesterol particles. And it isn’t fat in the diet. It is sugar. Sugar in any form or refined carbohydrates (white food) drives the good cholesterol down, cause triglycerides to go up, creates small damaging cholesterol particles, and causes metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes. That is the true cause of most heart attacks, NOT LDL cholesterol.
One of the reasons we don’t hear about this is because there is no good drug to raise HDL. Statin drugs lower LDL — and billions are spent advertising them, even though they are the wrong treatment.
If you’re like most of the patients I see in my practice, you’re convinced that cholesterol is the evil that causes heart disease. You may hope that if you monitor your cholesterol levels and avoid the foods that are purported to raise cholesterol, you’ll be safe from America’s number-one killer.
We are all terrified of cholesterol because for years well-meaning doctors, echoed by the media, have emphasized what they long believed is the intimate link between cholesterol and death by heart disease. If only it were so simple!
The truth is much more complex.
Cholesterol is only one factor of many — and not even the most important — that contribute to your risk of getting heart disease.
First of all, let’s take a look at what cholesterol actually is. It’s a fatty substance produced by the liver that is used to help perform thousands of bodily functions. The body uses it to help build your cell membranes, the covering of your nerve sheaths, and much of your brain. It’s a key building block for our hormone production, and without it you would not be able to maintain adequate levels of testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and cortisol.
So if you think cholesterol is the enemy, think again. Without cholesterol, you would die.
In fact, people with the lowest cholesterol as they age are at highest risk of death. Under certain circumstances, higher cholesterol can actually help to increase life span.
To help clear the confusion, I will review many of the cholesterol myths our culture labors under and explain what the real factors are that lead to cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol Myths
One of the biggest cholesterol myths out there has to do with dietary fat. Although most of us have been taught that a high-fat diet causes cholesterol problems, this isn’t entirely true. Here’s why: The type of fat that you eat is more important than the amount of fat. Trans fats or hydrogenated fats and saturated fats promote abnormal cholesterol, whereas omega-3 fats and monounsaturated fats actually improve the type and quantity of the cholesterol your body produces.
In reality, the biggest source of abnormal cholesterol is not fat at all — it’s sugar. The sugar you consume converts to fat in your body. And the worst culprit of all is high fructose corn syrup.
Consumption of high fructose corn syrup, which is present in sodas, many juices, and most processed foods, is the primary nutritional cause of most of the cholesterol issues we doctors see in our patients.
So the real concern isn’t the amount of cholesterol you have, but the type of fats and sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet that lead to abnormal cholesterol production.
Of course, many health-conscious people today know that total cholesterol is not as critical as the following:
• Your levels of HDL “good” cholesterol vs. LDL “bad” cholesterol
• Your triglyceride levels
• Your ratio of triglycerides to HDL
• Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL
Many are also aware that there are different sizes of cholesterol particles. There are small and large particles of LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. The most dangerous are the small, dense particles that act like BB pellets, easily penetrating your arteries. Large, fluffy cholesterol particles are practically harmless–even if your total cholesterol is high. They function like beach balls and bounce off the arteries, causing no harm.
Another concern is whether or not your cholesterol is rancid. If so, the risk of arterial plaque is real.
Rancid or oxidized cholesterol results from oxidative stress and free radicals, which trigger a vicious cycle of inflammation and fat or plaque deposition under the artery walls. That is the real danger: When small dense LDL particles are oxidized they become dangerous and start the build up of plaque or cholesterol deposits in your arteries.
Now that we’ve explored when and how cholesterol becomes more problematic, let’s take a look at other factors that play a more significant role in cardiovascular disease.
Prime Contributors to Cardiovascular Disease
First of all, cardiovascular illness results when key bodily functions go awry, causing inflammation, (vii) imbalances in blood sugar and insulin and oxidative stress.
To control these key biological functions and keep them in balance, you need to look at your overall health as well as your genetic predispositions, as these underlie the types of diseases you’re most likely to develop. It is the interaction of your genes, lifestyle, and environment that ultimately determines your risks — and the outcome of your life.
This is the science of nutrigenomics, or how food acts as information to stall or totally prevent some predisposed disease risks by turning on the right gene messages with our diet and lifestyle choices. That means some of the factors that unbalance bodily health are under your control, or could be.
These include diet, nutritional status, stress levels, and activity levels. Key tests can reveal problems with a person’s blood sugar and insulin, inflammation level, level of folic acid, clotting factors, hormones, and other bodily systems that affect your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Particularly important are the causes if inflammation, which are many, and need to be assessed. Inflammation can arise from poor diet (too much sugar and trans and saturated fats), a sedentary lifestyle, stress, autoimmune disease, food allergies, hidden infections such as gum disease, and even toxins such as mercury. All of these causal factors need to be considered anytime there is inflammation.
Combined together, all of these factors determine your risk of heart disease. And I recommend that people undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation to see what their risk really is.
Zeroing in on Key Factors for Heart Disease
There’s no doubt about it, inflammation is key contributor to heart disease. A major study done at Harvard found that people with high levels of a marker called C-reactive protein (CRP) had higher risks of heart disease than people with high cholesterol. Normal cholesterol levels were NOT protective to those with high CRP. The risks were greatest for those with high levels of both CRP and cholesterol.
Another predisposing factor to heart disease is insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, which leads to an imbalance in the blood sugar and high levels of insulin. This may affect as many as half of Americans over age 65. Many younger people also have this condition, which is sometimes called pre-diabetes.
Although modern medicine sometimes loses sight of the interconnectedness of all our bodily systems, blood sugar imbalances like these impact your cholesterol levels too. If you have any of these conditions, they will cause your good cholesterol to go down, while your triglycerides rise, which further increases inflammation and oxidative stress. All of these fluctuations contribute to blood thickening, clotting, and other malfunctions — leading to cardiovascular disease.
What’s more, elevated levels of a substance called homocysteine (which is related to your body’s levels of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12) appears to correlate to cardiovascular illness. Although this is still somewhat controversial, I often see this inter-relationship in my practice. While genes may play a part, tests done as part of a comprehensive evaluation of cardiac risk can easily ascertain this factor. Where problematic levels occur, they can be easily addressed by adequate folic acid intake, along with vitamins B6 and B12.
Testing for Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Heart disease is not only about cholesterol. It is important to look at many factors that contribute to your overall risk. And it seems that insulin and blood sugar imbalances, and inflammation are proving to be more of a risk that cholesterol.
If you want to test your overall risk, you can consider asking your doctor to perform the following tests:
1. Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Your total cholesterol should be under 200. Your triglycerides should be under 100. Your HDL should be over 60. Your LDL should be ideally under 80. Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL should be less than 3.0. Your ratio of triglycerides to HDL should be no greater than 4, which can indicate insulin resistance if elevated.
2. NMR Lipid Profile. This looks at your cholesterol under an MRI scan to assess the size of the particles, which can determine your cardiovascular risk. This is a very important test that can further differentiate the risk of your cholesterol and can be an important factor to track as your system improves and your cholesterol transforms from being small dense and dangerous to light and fluffy and innocuous. It is done by a company called Liposcience and is also available through LabCorp.
3. Glucose Insulin Tolerance Test. Measurements of fasting and 1 and 2 hour levels of glucose AND insulin helps identify pre-diabetes and excessively high levels of insulin, and even diabetes. Most doctors just check blood sugar and NOT insulin, which is the first thing to go up. By the time your blood sugar goes up, the train has left the station.
4. Hemaglobin A1c. This measures your average blood sugar level over the last 6 weeks. Anything over 5.5 is high.
5. Cardio C-reactive protein. This is a marker of inflammation in the body that is essential to understand in the context of overall risk. Your C-reactive protein level should be less than 1.
6. Homocysteine. Your homocysteine measures your folate status and should be between 6 and 8.
7. Lipid peroxides or TBARS test, which looks at the amount of oxidized or rancid fat. This should be within normal limits of the test and indicates whether or not you have oxidized cholesterol.
8. Fibrinogen, which is another test looking at clotting in the blood. It should be less than 300.
9. Lipoprotein (a), which is another factor that can promote the risk of heart disease, often in men. It should be less than 30.
10. Genes or SNPs may also be useful in terms of assessing your situation. A number of key genes regulate cholesterol and metabolism, including Apo E genes and the cholesterol ester transfer protein gene. The MTHFR gene, which regulates homocysteine is also important and may be part of an overall workup.
11. Get a high-speed CT or (EBT) scan of the heart if you are concerned that you have cardiovascular disease. This may be helpful to assess overall plaque burden and calcium score. A score higher than 100 is a concern, and a score higher than 400 indicates severe risk of cardiovascular disease.
Next week I will review how to lower your risk of heart disease and fix your cholesterol. We’ll do this not by lowering the LDL, but by getting more light and fluffy LDL particles, which are protective and more HDL cholesterol, which is THE most important cholesterol.
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Have you been told that you need to lower your cholesterol?
If so, what were your told to do and how does that compare to what you’ve read here?
Does any of what you’ve read here come as a surprise?
Please share your thoughts by adding a comment below.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, M.D.
References
(i) Barter P, Gotto AM, LaRosa JC, Maroni J, Szarek M, Grundy SM, Kastelein JJ, Bittner V, Fruchart JC; Treating to New Targets Investigators. HDL cholesterol, very low levels of LDL cholesterol, and cardiovascular events. N Engl J Med. 2007 Sep 27;357(13):1301-10.
(ii) Ridker PM, Danielson E, Fonseca FA, Genest J, Gotto AM Jr, Kastelein JJ, Koenig W, Libby P, Lorenzatti AJ, MacFadyen JG, Nordestgaard BG, Shepherd J, Willerson JT, Glynn RJ; JUPITER Study Group. Rosuvastatin to prevent vascular events in men and women with elevated C-reactive protein. N Engl J Med. 2008 Nov 20;359(21):2195-207.
(iii) Abramson J, Wright JM. Are lipid-lowering guidelines evidence-based? Lancet. 2007 Jan 20;369(9557):168-9
(iv) IBID
(v) Brown BG, Taylor AJ Does ENHANCE Diminish Confidence in Lowering LDL or in Ezetimibe? Engl J Med 358:1504, April 3, 2008 Editorial
(vi) Schatz IJ, Masaki K, Yano K, Chen R, Rodriguez BL, Curb JD. Cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people from the Honolulu Heart Program: a cohort study. Lancet. 2001 Aug 4;358(9279):351-5.
(vii) Hansson GK Inflammation, Atherosclerosis, and Coronary Artery Disease N Engl J Med 352:1685, April 21, 2005
Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body’s natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.
October 1st, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Where are the aliens?
Who is Initi? How did he die? Why are you guys so blase about his/her death? Should I assume he is a he and that is the reason he was expendable?
Myra
Are you part of Madaline’s crew? Or are you from some other outfit?
Oh, and i was raped by my big brother’s sister. I caught John f**king his girlfriend and her sister caught me watching them. She dragged me into the bedroom and told my brother what I was doing.
He told her to break my cherry. So she pulled my pants down and blew me. I must have been full of those raging hormones Doug was referring to because I was so excited that I came before I could put it all the way in.
She didn’t laugh with my brother and her sister, instead she hauled me off to her bedroom and we started all over again beginning with a new head job. I was hard again in no time and she proceeded to rape and rape me.
I went back the next day while my brother was at work and she raped me some more. To this day I can’t forget that experience. My wife says i am a liar. But my big brother knows the truth. Not that he would tell the truth if his life depended on it.
He is a consummate liar. He told mom that I was a peeping tom. I was 13 and he was 18. The rapist was 17. She raped me off an on for about two years. Then she would not speak to me because my big brother told her I told mom that she and I were f**king.
That was a lie. He was the only one I had confided in. I treated her for more than a year before she realized that I was Jerry. I really began to grow after she left for college and I went before she returned so she never got to see me tower over my big brother.
He stopped an inch short of 6 feet. I am 6’6′ 205 lbs of solid muscle. I played 4 years of varsity food ball as a tight end. He played 3 years as a point guard. He came back a dentist. I am a gynecologist.
We practice in the same medical building with our father. I use my mother’s maiden name because she kept it when she married my father. She said that her family fortune would go to the son that carried her name.
She is biophysicist and works for my grandfather’s company. We met at a xmas party. We were both a bit tipsy and ended up in one of the private suites up stairs. After we or for sure I had had one of the most incredible sex experiences of my life, she mentioned that it was very awkward for her to be having sex with her gynecologist.
I added that plus the fact that we had had a childhood sexual liaison. She looked startled and said I was mistaken. I told her who I was and she got up and left. A week later I received a request from her new gynecologist for her medical records.
It seems that my brother had told her that I had told everyone I could about her incredible blow jobs and her sexual preferences. I had only shared that with him. At the time I was too young to know better.
He blames me because she dropped him as her dentist and father as her primary care physician. I have sense learned that he told everyone about our liaison. Then he told my wife that i made the whole thing up.
Why am I telling you this? Hell, I don’t know. I do know that I love it when my wife who is 6’1” tall wears her heels to the family dinners and says to my brother. I can eat off the top of your head. He goes ballistic when i call him the runt of the family.
It is factually correct since our sister is 6′, mother is 6’1” and our father is 6’5”. His wife is also 6′ tall. I asked my sister if she would talk with Kelly and explain my side of the story. She said that they were only brief working associates and that she wished to keep it that way.
My sister is a dike and she refuses to be a parr of our family unit because my brother disrespects her mate. Why she takes it out on me I don’t know. She is two years older than my brother and 7 older than me.
When i was 13 she was away at college. All I ever heard was how brilliant she was. She came back to run the research department of grandfather’s business. They call her the Iron Maiden because she is so tough on the men.
She has grandfather’s fortune locked up. I have mother’s and probably father’s too since he can’t leave his medical practice to a dentist. I guess he could leave him the building, but I’ll get the patients because I am a board certified surgeon.
I did not realize how much I cared about having Kelly as my patient until she left. She is 5’2” of all woman. I still remember her saying to me after I came all over her. “You are well hung young man, the girls will forgive you one or two pop offs. Pay no attention to the lesser endowed like your brother.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have told him she said that. But still remember what she said word for word. It made my eight inches feel like ten. I owe my sexual conquests to her cool manner when I needed it most.
I love my wife, but I would like Kelly and I to be friends. I wish she read your blog. My sister introduced me to it about 9 months ago. Her girlfriend was pregnant at the time with our child and sis was a wired husband. We spent a lot of time together. I thought we had bonded in a way we never had as children.
I am her child’s godfather. You would think that she would do me this little favor. I responded for her when she asked me to father her girlfriend’s child. How difficult would it be for her to tell an employee that I did not kiss and tell to anyone but my brother?
Jerry
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:21 am
Zen Lill
Loving the exercises and ideas and diet. I have told many of my friends that they can tune in for the diet and exercises and the stuff people put on this blog is way pass wired. I found an article, thanks to Ruth. Thank you Ruth for motivating me to search the web for health articles.
I will post it, but first I want to say to Jerry when I was 16 I had a sexual “liasion”(I got the tickles when you used that word) with a 12 year old for 4 years. I graduated from college. Left my state got work, got married and had one child.
21 years later, I met him at my sons graduation from the USAF Academy. He pinned the wing on the left side and on the right. He did not recognize me. I was aware of who he was because my son had told me about his well decorated Commander.
Long story short. I told him who I was. He sat down and cried. He said that he had been looking for me all his life. He said that he wanted to be a hero so that if we met I would be proud of the boy I had made the man he was.
He said that he would never interfere with a married woman and that he was only telling me this because he had held it in for so long. I told him I had thought about him often over the years. And that I had prayed that I hadn’t created a serial killer or woman abuser.
He assured me that I had only made him more protective of women because of my gentleness with him. That was news to me. I was a horny little 16 year old. He was my first and I in my memory I attacked that sweet boy every chance we had to be alone. Which was often since I was the baby sitter for him and his two little sisters.
Did I say long story short? Did I say people are wired on your site Michelle? Okay short version. I told him I was divorced three years now. He asked me to marry him, he had never been married. We have been happily, I do mean happily in every way for 13 years now.
My husband agreed after I showed him your comment. He says a man cannot be raped he can be enticed to have sex before the legal age of consent. But it should not carry the same penalty as a man raping a woman or having sex with a minor female. I agree.
Oh Doug, it would have been(and may have) a memorial delight for an older woman to have lead you to your first ecstasy. I don’t think that you really believe that a woman can rape a man.
Caroline
Oh, I almost forgot the article I wrote in to share. Here it is.
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Your ticket to a shorter, dumber life
We already know that losing weight is the right thing to do. Now, we have proof that it’s the smart thing to do, too.
The extra pounds are literally stealing your brains.
It sounds like something out of an old fairy tale, but the brain scans don’t lie: As your stomach grows, your brain shrinks. If you don’t believe me, you can see the evidence for yourself in the August edition of Human Brain Mapping.
Researchers found that the brains of obese people have 8 percent less tissue than the brains of people at healthy weights — and, worse yet, they look 16 years older. If you’re merely overweight, that takes a toll, too: 4 percent less tissue and brains that look 8 years older.
If that doesn’t sound like a lot to you, it is — in fact, it’s enough to be considered severe brain degeneration.
That’s not the only bad news for obesity. Few people will dispute that extreme obesity shortens lives, but now we know by how much, thanks to a study in the August issue of the journal Obesity.
If you want to be that fat — around 80 pounds overweight — it’ll cost you up to 12 years of your life.
We already know about the main risks that come from all that extra weight, like diabetes and heart disease. But even I was surprised when I read in BMC Public Health that there’s a link between weight and debt.
Researchers found that people in heavy debt were 2.5 times likely to be overweight.
So hopefully you’ve finally made up your mind to lose the weight, not only to reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease, but also to help keep your brain sharp and your wallet full.
Where do you start?
Weight-loss schemes, fad diets and drugs not only don’t work, but they can have terrible side effects. One popular weight-loss drug has been linked to liver damage, and the FDA is now reviewing it. This over-the-counter pill is one more example of a drug that was rushed to market before all of its side effects were fully understood, and now American consumers may be paying the price.
But you don’t need this or any other drug. The real answer is in your lifestyle — something these drugs force you to change anyway. Read the instructions on the packaging for these meds next time you come across one — they all require changes to your diet and lifestyle in order to work.
These drugs may help you lose weight a touch faster than you would on your own, but you’re still doing most of the work yourself. So as long as you’re willing to do that, why not do it right — without meds, and by making the changes you need to break free from what I call the Torture Chamber for good. You see, when you eat carbs it unleashes a host of fat making consequences including a gyrating blood sugar, which causes you to crave food even more (the torture chamber of desire).
Ignore all that low-fat nonsense and start paying attention to your carbs. Eat fresh vegetables and fatty meats. If you follow my plan, you won’t have to count fat or calories — just drop the carbs, get some exercise and the pounds will melt away.
Then you’ll be rewarded not just with a healthier body, but a better brain and a longer life, too.
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My husband says if the girls ever need a flight instructor, he is 63 but still in fine shape to instruct. He is. But he would only go if I went with him. I would follow you Michelle. I think Madaline is a lark.
Love this blog
Caroline
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:35 am
Hafa adai
The white senate is at it again. They want to take away from the Chamorro what they have willing given to their white ken. I say you mainlanders have to write your senators and tell them you will not stand for this shit. Read this and get mad and get cracking.
_______________________________________________________________
Guam Senator Frank Blas Demands Answers
By John Dela Rosa
GUAM – If things unfold as suspected, Guam’s war reparations claimants will soon face a formidable foe in the U.S. Senate.
Guam Senator Frank Blas, Jr. has been informed by two reliable federal sources in Washington, DC that Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, is set to oppose a provision in the House version of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act that would compensate Guam’s indigenous Chamorros and their families for hardships suffered during World War II. The reparations legislation is currently under review in the Senate.
The news comes as a surprise, as Democrats in Washington are making it seem like the future of war claims hinges on Republican Senator John McCain’s support.
The information provided to Blas has prompted him to place two calls to the Office of Guam’s House Delegate Madeleine Bordallo to confirm this information. To date, Bordallo has yet to respond.
Blas is now working with Speaker Won Pat to write a formal letter to Levin and Bordallo asking for clarification on Levin’s position on Guam’s War Claims.
If necessary, Blas will travel to DC to lobby for support along with survivors who have expressed disappointment with the 65 years that it has taken Congress to properly address the question of war reparations for Guam.
“At a time when Guam is so critical to the defense posturing of our nation, it is shocking to hear that the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee may not support legislation that would finally recognize the atrocities caused to our people during WWII,” Blas said. “I believe it is important for our national leaders to show their commitment to Guam, just as our people have time and again shown our commitment to the nation.”
Authored by Congresswoman Bordallo, H.R. 44, the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, seeks war reparations for victims who endured forced labor, beatings and mistreatment during the island’s early-1940′s occupation by Imperial Japan — and who suffered further indignities, mental anguish and even execution for their loyalty to America around the time of the U.S. invasion of Guam in 1944.
H.R. 44 has been incorporated into the House version of the 2010 defense spending act.
Jeff Marchesseault contributed to this report.
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The nerve of these bastards. They want to use our island as the base in the Pacific. Make our people the first target of their enemies in the Pacific and then they have the audacity to say we do not deserve the same benefits as our white citizens.
That’s why I can not stand the states most times. They smile at you say all the right things to you, but when it comes right down to treating you as they want to be treated you will always come up short if you do not force them to be fair.
If this isn’t the race of the Anti-Christ, there isn’t any God.
Peter
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 am
Howie
I am moving to Miami. Is that near you? I would love to meet you. Nothing sexual, just to talk. I have been reading your comments for almost two years. I feel I know you. I am 27 and taking a nursing job in Miami. My brother lives there and he says it gets hot. It will be my first time.
I remember you and Al saying how hot it gets some time. But I took the job because I would like to meet you and Carr and Al.
Leslie
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:53 am
Are you sick of the insurance industry?
They make huge profits by denying us care and dropping our coverage when we need it.1 They don’t care who gets sick, who gets hurt, or who dies – as long as they keep making money.
But because those same corporations give big donations to politicians, efforts to reform the industry and give us the option of a public insurance plan are getting bogged down in Congress.2
So we’re teaming up with allies from across the country to organize “Big Insurance: Sick Of It” rallies in front of health insurance company offices TOMORROW.
We’ll share the stories of people who have suffered from our broken health insurance system, and we’ll demand that the companies stop trying to kill the public health insurance option. Sign up to attend the event near you and tell Congress we’re sick of big insurance.
http://pol.moveon.org/event/biginsurance
Practices like denying coverage to sick patients, dropping coverage when people try to use their insurance, and denying insurance to people based on their gender, age, or health are what started America’s health care crisis.3 It’s also what makes big insurance companies money.
So it’s no surprise that the corporations making hundreds of billions of dollars every year from our broken system are fighting tooth and nail to preserve it.4 But we can fight back.
At the events tomorrow we’ll share the stories of people hurt or even killed by big insurance’s greed. And we’ll demand that they stop denying care, terminating policies, and spending our premium dollars lobbying against healthcare reform.
Acting together as patients and citizens we CAN make a difference. Sign up to attend the rally near you.
-Drew
Drew Hudson
TrueMajority / USAction
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:00 am
Does it bother you that he ADMITTED that he drugged and raped a thirteen year old girl? He PLED GUILTY to drugging and raping a girl he knew was thirteen years old, thinking that his fame would buy him a slap on the wrist. Does any of that bother you, genius?
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:02 am
I am male.
I love Polanski’s movies. In particular the pianist was a poigniont, pretty accurate portrayal of life in the Warsaw getto during WWII. I have no doubt that Polanski is a very sensitive, feeling person.
Paradoxically, for me, that makes the incident with the 13 year old all the worse. From what he has shown via his films I find it hard to believe that he would not have had empathy with the girl, understand fully what it would do to her life. Yet he chose to ignore all that and simply follow his own desires, hoping his celebrity status would “get him off”.
I am with those who want him extracaded back to the USA and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I totally agree with this article.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:04 am
For all you Sarah Palin fans.
http://bestoftheblogs.com/Home/21246
Al
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:05 am
According to CNN, the plea agreement was for Polanski to walk with 42 days. The travesty of justice, the reneging on the deal was thus. Then, on the eve of his sentencing, the judge told attorneys he was inclined to send Polanski back to prison for another 48 days.
If he fights extradition, it could take months. Once in America, he’ll be sentenced on his felony conviction and face charges for jumping bail and evading – This guy is his own worst enemy – 48 days or 31 years of humiliation and you go to jail for longer – in two countries – wow, what a fool.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:06 am
I love all the people who see his life in France as some sort of punishment.
What a terrible fate for someone who has publicly boasted of liking sex with young girls. To be exiled as a famous millionaire film director to a country where the age of consent is 14 and even that has traditionally been more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule. For 30 years he has continued to work and enjoy all the fruits of his wealth and celebrity.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:08 am
Very good post. As a liberal, I am fairly shocked at all the artists and others liberals supporting Polanski in this case.
I don’t get it. To me this is pretty straight-forward. He plead guilty to unlawful sex with a 13 year old and has never denied it. He fled the country. Let him come back and do his time.
The fact that he is a great filmmaker or has had tragedies in his life has no bearing on this. My guess is the majority of criminals have had tragedies in their lives. And as the author of this post points out, the fact that he paid off the victim and she supposedly forgives is irrelevant.
If someone tries to kill someone and they forgive them we still punish them in order to protect others from a similar fate. I hope some of Hollywood rethink their support for him on this. Its making them look ridiculous.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:09 am
I am reminded of the efforts of Norman Mailer and other literati to have Jack Abbott, author of ‘In The Belly Of The Beast’ released from prison because of his ‘genius.’ Mailer and others supported Abbott’s successful bid for parole in 1981.
The book was very successful and on July 19, 1981, the New York Times published a rave review of it. However, the day before, Abbott had committed murder in the East Village.
As I recall Mailer’s only comment was regret over his own apparent bad judgment; he had nothing to say about Richard Adan, they young actor who was murdered.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:11 am
Excellent article. Well said, and so apt! People are willing to let him off because he’s a supposedly ‘Great Man’. If the judge was going to reject the plea – as a judge is allowed to do – than Polanski should have sat in his cell and filed for appeal, as all other criminals have the right to do.
All the naysayers here seem to be conveniently forgetting one thing. He *publicly admitted* to *raping a child*. He *plead guilty* to *rape*. He is a criminal who fled prosecution and than ‘suffered’ in the south of France with his money and his new family and his movies.
Put him in jail. End of story.
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:17 am
HI Mischa,
I want to find time to see this movie Sat night, hope it happens…
Helena, great articles, in my opinion, Westerns docs do not know Jack shit, so I don’t go, I research everything right on-line, althouggh I’m following a whole foods and juicing protocol that is just plain holistic living, good health all the way around. I’ve had a disdain for docs for years, long story short, I was supposed to take antibiotics before and after sex for 2 years, that was his idea of handling the issue, I thought otherwise and went to a holistic couple, accupuncture to the Nth…changing eating habits was their first criteria, if I wasn’t willing they wouldn’t treat, and, aha, not only did it cute what ailed me but I lost some weight, felt mentally more alert, etc, etc…thus the ZL plan was invented, this couple did more for me in 2 months than docs did in 18 mos…
Jerry, I know you weren’t tallking to me exactly but I am not blase’ about Initi or Myra, I just never heard the names before and was awaiting elaboration from Myra or Mischa, would like to know more about who they are and what happened also.
Caroline, so glad you’re enjoying the exercises, etc…and wow, what an incredible story about you and your hubby, holy smokes : ) re: your article, if mental alertness is a side bene of eating whole foods and taking exercise daily, I would imagine that being obese would cause sluggish mental alertness if not actual brain shrinkage (everytime I use that word I think of Jerry Seinfeld), so it makes sense to feel as good about yourself and your temple (body) as you can.
Barbara, it is sometimes threatening to others when one member of the fam single-handedly changes the dynamics they are used to, it’s transition time for everyone, stick to your ZL program protocol and they will learn 2 things: you do what you say you’re going to do (a great legacy statement in and of itself) and that you value good health (and thus someday they will also, maybe just not today) – trust me, they are taking in your every choice and measuring…and seeing if they can make you fold, I urge you to just forge ahead with or without fam support, they will come around, and the truth is: they don’t need to be on board really, you are not approval seeking, you are getting healthy.
So, as far as the weekend and the program, up your walk to 30-45 minutes over the weekend and add a hill, squeeze that G, ta’s up, shoulders back and down and tummy in. All the poses, at the sets/reps I mentioned earlier in the week. Monday I will give a full review for those just tuning in and a refresher cuz I’m adding the ‘butt buster’ portion, not to worry, I won’t ever make the workouts more than 45-60 minutes, in order to make it part of daily life.
Here’s what I’m going to leave you with as part of the ZL program, this is for your mind health : ) when you get caught up in thinking of the past/future (ok for a minute if it’s a good story, let’s shoot for 10 seconds if it’s an unwanted story) and just say in your head: STOP (pause) and then think a good thought. Sound too simple, maybe it is and maybe it is just that simple, try it. I use it all the time and I have a great filter now. ex. I use to say to myself and others ‘oh, I’m not athletic at all’ and ‘I’m not coordinated enough’ etc, etc…it was ll just a good story that stopped me – then I said STOP and thought something else about myself, and acted on it, now I’m a great downhill skier, a decent golfer, a decent beginning tennis player, and a fun yet serious weight/cardio gymrat : ) and am descibed by others as ‘athletic’ it makes me smile when someone says that bc many years ago I thought quite the opposite.
You can use this when you’re going down a bad road with a relationship as well, try it. I apparently assisted a woman at the gym who thought her relationship was over, (I don’t recall the content of the chat but she sure did) I guess I said, if you’re fighting all the time, you are still connected all the time, you haven’t flat-lined, you’re just stuck between that think line of love/hate, we all prefer the lovey side, but that hate side throws us, well you can love the crap out of your man/woman and still be pissed as hell and you can also use STOP and think a good thought, a healing thought…and that’s it, I’m done now : ) I hope I don’t sound preachy, I’m just sharing what has and has not worked in my life and if I can share and help one person I have done my ‘job’ here on earth today.
Check in later, my work day just got cancelled so STOP (about the money loss) and think a good thought – It’s gorgie and I’m going to make some calls (bc I’ll feel better about the cash flow issue) and then I am going to go play (walk for 45 with my G note securely in my crack, I’ll be thinking of you all!)…
Caio, Luv, Zen Lill