Maybe I'm wrong, George Clooney is God

Myanmar was mangled this weekend. There is a  God, i know it and he has a wife "mother nature" and they took care of that business over there in this weekend. I believe with my whole heart and soul that evil will be brought to the light, always. There is a line in the Road Less Traveled that says often times the nurosis we create to avoid pain in often 10 times greater than the pain we would have to go through if we just felt it." Ten times..................  Its just like a criminal who wants to get caught, and runs and runs and runs hurting people while leaving clues all along the way instead of just turning himself in.  Those oppressors brought that devastation on themselves and maybe with a little help from George Clooney, but those ads hadn't even starting running.

never ever ever kill

I do not believe in the death penalty never ever ever. If anyone watched 60 minutes on Sun night they saw a bunch of guys who had spent half their lives in prison for crimes they never committed.  Which means there were a few innocents killed as well. One of the guys was in jail for 27 years. Every time he came up for parole they said if he would just admit that he did it, he would get out, because by admitting his guilt it would show that he was willing to change. A few months ago they swabbed the inside of his mouth and the next week he was free. But what is freedom when you have lost your life? When asked why he never admitted to it just to get out he said that "sometimes your word is all you have." I just wonder why he didn't use his words beforehand?  Its as if he helped the system bury him alive. I would like to think that if something like  this happened to me i would fight harder to be heard. But, i am a woman who was lucky enough to break out of the shame that was passed on to me. So, I question that by not admitting to it and wasting his life in jail, is that not a twisted viture which is actually  just a veil for shame?

Burma vs Kansas

There is an article in today's New York Times Styles section about the celebrities campaign to stop the oppression in Burma aka Myanmar. They are campaigning to on YouTube to fight against the oppression and stand for human rights in Burma. Ummmmmmmmmm people in our country don't have health insurance, they are loosing their homes because of a mortgage crisis and they can't afford gas to get the to work.  What about the fact that the moratorium for the death penalty has been lifted because they found that freezing a person before they kill them is in fact a human way to kill someone. Did i just write" a humane way to kill someone" in the same sentence?  I got to make my own sign for YouTube it says put the oxygen mask on yourself before your child!!! And........... the article also says; "that after three decades of isolationist totalitarian rule and multiple coups, the country held free elections in 1990. The national league for democracy, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, won 82 percent of the parliamentary seats but the junta refused to relinquish power." Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, (A Nobel peace prize winner for her expression of non violence) has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years.  They say that even people who know about her, can't pronounce her name.  ( ung san su kee is my guess)  Ummmm because they are too busy pronouncing Al Gore and Superdelegates. In this great USA woman still get paid less then men for the exact same jobs.  And on the cover of AOl today there is picture of a man who locked his daughter in the house for 24 years.................................. I'm sure she is not getting a Nobel peace prize for her non vilolent time spent.

 

a hostage to ego or a host to spirit?

I watched real sports on HBO the other night. There was a story about a black guy (I don't remember his name) who was a great basketball player in high school and had all the colleges in the country after him. But before he could get there, he made a mistake and ended up in jail  7 years later one of those coaches from one of those colleges came a lookin. ( he happened to be white) He looked over the inmates record and realized that he was up for parole two years earlier so, essentially he was serving time he didn't need to.  They got a lawyer and the man was released. But before he could go to back to the Midwest town to play basketball the coach had to put his life on the line as collateral. If the ex inmate committed any criminal activity the coach would be run out of town. As it turns out there was never any criminal activity and the guy was thought to be drafted by the NBA. He wasn't, and it was a direct result of his record. He ended up playing basketball over seas, made tons of money, saw the world and bought the company that his mother used to work for, who is now running it. When Brian Gumble asked him what was better playing int he USA or Paris France he did not hesitate "Paris France" he replied with a huge smile.  I was in tears at this point barely able to see the TV screen through my tear soaked eye glasses. Then to top it off the guy donates shoes to the team every year and he is going back to college to get a degree so he can become a social worker. I was so moved at this guys lack of ego. I can't even say if i myself wouldn't have been trapped by my own regret of never making it to the NBA. But then i realized that those resentments are just invisible bars. If he made it to the NBA he might never have even left the country. He has seen the world and developed a loving relationship with another human being, who happens to be of another race. He made a mistake but it didn't ruin his life because he chose to be a host to the spirit instead of a hostage to the ego and now, he can pay it it forward.

Hey Lady!!!

Please please go and see Baby Mama!!!! It is hilarious. Tina fey is the Billy Jean King of comedy. I love her. I bow in gratitude. I sat in a theatre in NYC on sat night and was breathless as I looked at the packed house. People were fighting to find seats. How many movie execs are eating their words this Monday morning? I thought how many of them must have said "two funny women can't sell out a theatre." The ticket is, Tina's writing. I have heard so many women over the years talk about how there were no good roles for women and  thought that was feeding into the victimization, why doesn't someone write something for themselves? Tina has done it.  You cannot deny Tina because she has product.  i remember right after my sitcom got canceled )which i co created) i went to a women in comedy seminar and they were dancing around the sexism issue. My show was the first time i had ever really experienced sexism.  Mind you, i was the only woman in the room who had their own sitcom so you think they might want to hear what i had to say. I stood up and and said we need to admit there is a problem, and then we can figure out how to deal with it. I really was taken by the men and their aggression towardsmy success.  I said i think woman are socialized to retreat when they are yelled and guys are taught to fight back. How can we figure out a way to fight back without letting the industry turn us into men.  And the three woman running the seminar screamed bloody murder at me and what did I do? I retreated. But not now, now i am inspired, Tina showed me that it's possible, to be pretty funny and smart and remain a woman. You know how you do it? You write and you put it out there, that's how you stand up to it, with success. You don't let the dark pull you down one review said "its no Knocked up" a movie that its lead said was sexist. Whatevs we do what we want you can't argue with success.  So,  I am putting on my apple bottom jeans and my boots with the fur, writing myself some shizzle and going  to live out loud.

polygamy and the pope

Sorry it has taken me days to get up the guts to post this and i wanted to make sure i was not totally emotional and clear because i respect that people out there hold some of their beliefs to a very strong standard.   Last night i was not a happy camper watching Anderson Cooper on CNN. First up was the story of the polygamy case in Texas. Hundreds of kids were taken from their homes because of child abuse. First it was thought to be only sexual abuse but now they are finding out that it was physical as well. Of course there is abuse going on,  it is a cult and a cult is a breeding ground for abuse.  In  cult  you are not allowed to question the ideology of the leader and if you do, all the others will oppress you.  And then came  the story of the Pope visiting the  people who had been sexually abused in Boston to apologize. The three people that were on CNN seemed to me to be taken by the fact that the Pope  (his holiness) visiting them and  that apologizing was unprecedented. UMMMM priests sexually abusing kids was unprecedented.  They seemed to feel like this somehow made them special. I'm sure that's what the women of the poligamist men feel as well.   When you are abused your self esteem is totally diminished you don't even know how to stick up for yourself and you have a twisted relationship with those who have abused you.  Abusers are the most manipulative creatures on Earth. They get you to feel bad for them and there is an unspoken law that they can abuse you and you cant' tell anyone. and when it comes to sex abuse they make you feel special.   The Pope was at the UN today talking about human rights. It is a basic human right to feel safe.   He said the the global community has to step in and stop the abuse of human rights Th Pope said at the UN that tolerance means engaging human differences.  Ok, then why can't the suvivors reapectfully be mad? Why can't they respectfully demand that the Pope take out every single last offender that still has anything to do with he catholic Church You want me to believe you? he needs to come over to Boston and meet with those survivors without all the pomp and circumstance.He arrived at the UN and walked a red carpet like a celebity, Its the age old "shiny object make them look over here so they won't see over here." He's a human being just like all of us.  He only went up to Boston because the survivors are making such a big stink everywhere he had to do something.  He is not addressing it, he's just admitting that it happened because he had to. I believe that he thinks he's doing the right thing because that is the history of abuse an oppression?   Until someone apologizes with and action, a re occuring action, nothing will change. Even if he had nothing to so with it he is Pope. He has the power to really change things. And yes I expect that of him. I expect him to put himself out there and face controversy that is where the healing will really begin.   I respectfully have to say that i do not buy the fact that the Pope's apology is going to do anything. Nor do I believe that going into the polygamy compound and taking all the kids is going to do anything to stop the abuse. Its going to actually cause more problems because those kids are not going to get the care they need because of the abusive foster care system. So that will leave us with more crime and unhappiness in the world.  The abused becomes the abuser and so on so on. real change when people stop acitng all powerful and start seeing people as human. ANd for God's sake jsut let the preists have sex.

Walking the talk

Obama part deux: Okay i have so much to say i hope it makes sense. I'm going to break it down. What i was trying to say yesterday was that I think Obama  should just apologize: He should not try to defend what he was "trying to say" and he should apologize for what he said. "Your actions are so loud I can't hear what you're saying." And if he really wants to touch them where they cling then he should repent, he should realize his humanity and show it to all. Even if he didn't mean what he said, deal with the reality of what went on, he forgot where he came form for a second. If he admits his humanity they will feel respected and forgive him, then he takes the power from Clinton. You see, people can only get you when you havea wound to attack a weakness that they can exploit. In my humble opinion if he really isn't an elitist the way to be with the people is to act like one.  He should break the tension by respecting how much it bothered them. Its only the ego that blocks someone from being able to see another.  And how many people have we seen take themselves down because of their own ego. All everybody in this world wants is to be seen, heard and respected. Think about how this takes affect in personal relationships. This reminds me of my favorite episode of Sex and the city. Carrie had just moved in with Aidan  and she  came home from work freaking out, she yelled (i paraphrase) I can't take it,. your always here i need some space when i come home from work. I need at least an hour by myself. He looked up from his book and said "o.k" and she went into her little bedroom pulled the curtains closed and lied on the bed for a about two minutes. Then she came out and sat in his lap. All she needed to know was that he saw her. And, and, and, my favorite story of all time is , my friend had gone out with this guy  for years and he always wanted to get married and she was too scared. As she approached 40 she thought she should get married so they did. On their wedding night she was freaking out (I paraphrase) "i can't wear this ring it's making me feel trapped!" and her fiance said "put it in your pocket.' I LOVE IT he didn't say "how could you do this on our wedding night?" He knew it was her fear, he didn't make it about him. It is the responsibility of the person in power to lead by example.The emotions behind what Obama said and the emotions of the white working class in Philly definitely clashed and if he wants to be a leader,and he needs them in order to accomplish that, he should show them some respect. He should follow the words of the great Dr. King. "If there are five steps between you and another you should take 3."

Everybody's an elitest

I cannot believe how much emotion plays in the way we live our lives today. Emotions that play out in some of the most important decisions we need to make for the continuing survival of this planet. I watched Obama and Hilary during their compassion forum on CNN Sunday night and then watched my boyfriend Charlie Rose last night. The topic of discussion was Obama's comments on The white Working class in Philadelphia. I paraphrase, but he said something about them being bitter and clinging to their religion. I purposely left out the rest because it seems the line "cling to their religion" is the one that the Blue collars are clinging to.  Funny they don't mind bitter. Clinton is calling him and elitist and saying the she and john McCain are the only people in the race that care about the "real concerns of the poor." There are many problems with that statement, the first being that Clinton and her husband are rich a hundred times over and McCain is Married to a very wealthy woman. Obama on the other hand, was raised by a single mom. Hmmmm..... His $ has come his supporters; even the smallest donations have made it possible for him to campaign instead of spending his time raising money. Hilary took a chunk of her own money and put it into her campaign.  Maybe Obama slipped up, maybe he forgot where he came from I mean after all the word poor has such a negative connotation. Which brings me to the the second problem with that statement which is that the white working class do not consider themselves poor, nobody wants to be called poor. Obama left himself open to the attack because he strayed away from his center.   And Hilary keeps referring to the "poor" which is essentially being an elitist herself.  So everybody is just reacting and defending rather than owning the truth and dealing with it in an honest way.  The blue collars defend against Obama saying clinging to religion instead of looking at the facts. Which actually proves his point even further. I dont' know who said it, but the term was Religion is the opiate for the masses. I am blue collar and i personally suffer from the same problem that is maifesting here. I have meany times heard many many words that could have helped but only hung on to the one that was negative and in turn made a deciison about a person that had nothing to do with reality. And in turn hurt myslelf. It's verry complicated because first of all there is such a negative connotation to the word poor, and it hits people emotioanlly and as I watch Hilary talk abouthow we need to help the poor my insides scream How???? we can't solve a problem until everyboyd gets off thier high horse and tries to really change things........ We are taught when we are children that there are three things you never talk about in public. Religion, politcs and money. WHY?? The shame is what is keeping us all opressed. I'm not saying that religion is not helpful i'm just saying we should question things more. For me personally i was taught as a catholic that "if you think its a sin" that was pertaining to bad things. As and adult i ask why didnt' that work on the positive side. If you think good things they will happen. I am not putting anyone down by asking that question i'm actually empowering people. I'm askign a wuestion that can actully broaden the scope of how we think I'm adding to instead of taking away.  If everbody in this counrty were less scared and asked more questions we could get somewhere.  Hilary and Obabma are just reacting at this point. They are taking away from something that could be positive . UMMMMMMMM OUR FIRST BLACK OR FEMALE PRESIDENT. They are tearing each other down and potentially paving the way for the republicans to take over the White House.  They are going to try to get the blue collar vote now but once they get it, the blue collars will go back to church and they will go back to being elitist and nothing i mean nothingwill change.  You can say what you mean mean what you say and don't say it mean, You can stand up for something without taking someone else down.  Clinging to one thing is he exact thing that leaves us all vulnerable to be taken advantage of. If we're busy over here being bitter about one word then they can do what they want over there. There is nothing morally wrong with being poor its a social issue.  But if we keep our eyes down in shame they or our noses and eyes up in the air so we don't have to see the ugly we are not lookign straight ahead to the future.......... More on this tomorrow..... I have to go see tony bennet:)