Insane Killer Escapes Captivity During Washington Fair Field Trip

Today I read a story in the newspaper about a criminally insane man in Washington who escaped captivity. The man was doing time in a hospital for killing an elderly woman he thought was a witch, and burying her in her own flower garden. But the man wasn't exactly at the hospital when he escaped his captors, he was at the county fair on a field trip. Yes, a field trip. It turns out that he had tried to escape from a previous day trip to the lake, and when they found him he knocked a police officer unconscious. He was considered "an extreme escape risk."

I'm not really even sure where to begin, as just about every part of this story has something wrong with it. I happen to fall on the side of Washington Governor Chris Gregoire who asked the following upon hearing the news: “Why was he allowed to take such a trip?” and “Why did they go to a location that was so heavily populated with families?” Didn't anyone think this was a bad idea? Who said: " OK, guys, I have a really good plan to get the patients out of the hospital for a while. How about we load them all up, give them a little spending money, and take them to the fair!" "And get this, we let them wear their regular street clothes so that they can just feel normal for a day! Wouldn't it be fun?" But even then, even after this phenomenally awful idea was voiced, who was the guy that approved it? Who thought that rounding up a group of crazies and sending them to a large, open field complete with thousands of children and excessive stimulation would be appropriate? Even better is the fact that they sent a guy who killed an old lady for being a witch into carny land where the workers all have nose warts and claw hands and do magic. It's absurd. Even the man's brother said he should never have been anywhere like that. And now he's just totally ruined it for all the other mental patients as the hospital has decided it's probably not a good idea to let them go on field trips anymore. Too little, too late, if you ask me.

With the death of Senator Ted Kennedy, the United States has lost one of the most influential and important individuals in it's history. Regardless of politics, it is nearly impossible to have anything less than the utmost respect for Senator Kennedy. His passion and persistence has contributed to the improved lives of millions of Americans. He was a man who cared deeply about his country and the rights of its people. Despite his own personal affluence, he fought hard for the common man and for the progression of the United States. It is difficult to see him go at such a pivotal time when his influence could prove a great asset to the passing of health care reform legislation. Though he will not be present in body, his legacy will certainly live on in the heart of the Senate and the minds of the American people.

(February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009)

A Meaty Solution

With the economy still looking peaked, there has been quite a bit of discussion about new and unique ways to combat the recession. While some states are throwing around the possibility of a marijuana tax, other more inventive states are considering the implementation of a "fat tax" or a tax on junk food and soda. A recent poll shows that over half of Americans are in favor of this idea, and even more would be if the tax money went into the funding of health care reform and health related programs. While I personally can't see how this could be viewed as a bad thing, some critics argue that a fat tax would unfairly target those under the poverty line, and others argue that it would be nearly impossible to decide which foods to classify as junk. I say, if you can figure it out, go for it, if not, here's an idea: tax meat instead!

Before you decide to write me off as a vegan nutcase (which I am, but still), hear me out. A sin tax on meat, similar to that placed on cigarettes, would work beautifully in a number of ways if passed, and here's how:

• First of all, where it may be difficult to classify what is junk food and what is not, it is fairly simple to classify meat; if it used to have a face, it's meat.

• According to a 2006 United Nations report, raising animals for food emits 40 percent more global warming gases than all the cars, trucks, SUVs, Hummers, planes, and ships in the world combined. The environment is now a major concern for the government as well as the people, and since the meat industry is the main contributor to global warming and environmental pollution, a meat tax could potentially decrease consumption and guard against future effects of global warming.*

• The health of Americans is bad and getting worse. Obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are just a few of the health epidemics sweeping the country, and the consumption of meat, specifically red meat, contributes greatly to each of them. Multiple studies* on vegetarian diets have shown that the less meat one eats, the risk for all of the above diseases and variations of such decrease dramatically.
  

• The tax would not have a severe impact on small family owned farms, as the majority of meat on the market comes from large corporate factory farms. An increase in factory farms over the years has taken over the vast majority of family farms and have replaced workers with technology. Those who do work in the factory farms are often illegal immigrants who are paid measly wages and are expected to perform dangerous tasks, often suffering severe injuries on the job. If your conscience lies with the meat industry, it is important to remember that like the tobacco lobby, meat corporations are completely disinterested in the health of the consumer, and are simply out to make a profit, a big one.
  

• Additionally, a meat tax could potentially increase the demand for healthier products like fruits and vegetables. Because local farms are more likely to deal in these kinds of products as opposed to meats, local economies would be positively impacted, and when local economies are thriving, state economies thrive, and on up the chain. And so on.

• And if your concern goes beyond the U.S. into nations rife with poverty and hunger, a meat tax could help there too. Ungodly amounts of land, water, and other resources that could be used to grow mass amounts of vegetables, fruits, and grains for humans are being used to feed a significantly smaller number of cattle and livestock used to support the meat loving diet of the U.S. and other core countries. In fact, it takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce a single pound of edible animal flesh. By decreasing our demand for meat , we could be helping feed millions of people.
  

Whether you are a die hard vegan or a carnivore for life, I think we can all agree that compassion is a good thing. The meat industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that capitalizes on the suffering of animals AND humans. The conditions behind the closed doors of factory farms are some of the most gruesome and horrific for the animals that must endure them and the conditions for the exploited workers are not much more appealing. Supporting a meat tax could reduce suffering on every level, and would yield positive environmental, health, and economic results as well.


*http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19526134.500
*http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Eating_Lots_of_Red_Meat_Linked_to_Colon_Cancer.asp
*http://www.goveg.com/heartdisease.asp

The Danger of Fiction: Health Care Lies and the American People

Even with the current media flood of health care discourse and the increasingly out of control town hall meetings, somehow I still find myself in disbelief that so many United States citizens are actually capable of believing the nonsense that is being propagated about the Obama plan for health care reform. Certainly there are and have always been those on the lunatic fringe(like the Lyndon LaRouche supporter featured in the video above) who buy into ridiculous conspiracy theories and distribute outlandish self-made documentaries, but it seems lately the absurdity has reached unsettling new heights. Rather than remaining contained within a group of easily dismissible wing nuts, the lies and scaremongering has spread to the mainstream.

Members of the mass media like Rush Limbaugh are perpetuating disturbing lies by making claims that the Democratic policies in Congress are somehow comparable to those of the Nazi regime. Well-known right wing conservatives, even members of Congress, are spreading such nonsense, making it acceptable for citizens to ignore the facts entirely and parade about spewing the same contemptible balderdash. There are masses of frightened folks who listen to these few talking heads repeat untruths day after day, and buy into it wholeheartedly. Many, perhaps most, do not even understand what they are supporting or opposing. They are especially unaware of the fact that they are upholding the private interests of a self-serving few, rather than the majority, including themselves, who would benefit from the policies which they are opposing. When did the citizens of the United States become so gullible? So vulnerable to the whims of the media and the greed of giant corporations?
When did we lose the capacity to think or speak for ourselves? Are the mechanics of government so difficult to understand that the common man must resort to believing anything he hears? Why is the truth so hard to find?

As daunting as it is for those who buy into the lies and vote against their own self interests, it is even more frightening for those with the ability to see through the foolishness. For many informed and freethinking individuals, the realization that the United States is on the verge of progressing, but may be held back once again by the preposterous lies of the far right, is by far the most frustrating feeling imaginable. For those who can see through it, this charade is disheartening to the point of near faithlessness in the democratic process; it can drive one to feel like turning off the news and throwing up her hands.

But rather than surrender to the dispicable tactics of the special interests, it is necessary to realize that now more than ever, logic and rationale are of the utmost importance; real information must abound and we are responsible for making it happen. Those of you who care about the future of this nation have to make it your personal mission to get out the word; talk to anyone who will listen, send letters to your representatives, send letters to other representatives, call into news shows, post on forums, do anything you can to combat misinformation with real information. If our friends and neighbors are so eager to believe what they hear on TV and the radio, perhaps they will be even more receptive to someone they know who takes the time to sit down and have a real discussion with them.

For information concerning health care reform see the following links:

http://www.healthreform.gov/

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/18/ep.health.reform.basics/

http://factcheck.org/2009/08/seven-falsehoods-about-health-care/

Growing Old Gracefully

It is possible that I am the only 22 year old in history with a desire to cut the crap and get old already? All of the drama and worry that accompanies growing up and coming into one's own is nothing more than an inevitable annoyance that eventually leads to wisdom and confidence. Certainly the former is necessary in order to obtain the latter, but if it were up to me I'd skip it altogether! 

If a person plays her cards right, she can grow old with grace and dignity and no longer have to worry about petty fights between friends, relationship drama, or circumnavigating the job market. If she takes care of her mind and body, she can live comfortably with her health and peace of mind. The attitudinal aspects of growing old with grace are not the only things I look forward to; I love to think of the day when I can wear cardigans and brooches, get my hair done once a week, appreciate the company of only my cats, watch antique roadshow, enjoy the benefits of AARP, and utilize such technology as the jitterbug and life alert. Even life in a beachfront retirement village seems a-ok to me. 

Yes, I realize that in order to live such a perfectly ideal life, to avoid chronic health problems and loneliness in my twilight years I must plan ahead. I must work hard and take care of myself, build strong relationships and prepare for speedbumps. Growing old gracefully is the result of a long journey and it is hard work, which is why once I get there, I expect the payoff to be worth it. I expect nicknacks and bundt cakes and bridge parties galore! Vodka-tonics midday and road trips to Reno. I expect a group of girlfriends with fanny packs and a gentleman caller who knows when to leave.

 I may be the only 22 year old who can't wait to knit, and go to bingo, and yell at the tv, but I may also be the only one who knows exactly what she wants out of life. When others are well into old age still trying to figure it out, I'll be out for a joyride in my too long car wearing a Halloween sweater.

Puritan Politics: An Oxymoron? Or Just Moronic?

It isn't unusual for me to watch a political news show and end up forgetting the majority of the mindless rhetoric ten seconds after I turn off the television. But this morning while watching MSNBC's Morning Joe, an exchange between show host Joe Scarborough and Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal emphasized a conversation I've had with myself on numerous occasions, and has stuck with me since.

Scarborough- "Think about, literally, the tens of thousands of great congressmen, senators, governors, presidents that we will never have because people just aren't going to step."

Noonan- "Oh the number of normal people, never mind the number of people in politics who won't go any farther than they have gone. You and I have both known people who have talent, and experience and accomplishment, and you look at them and you say 'you ought to run for office with what you know,' and they say 'are you kidding me?' First of all, they haven't lived perfectly sinless lives, which is almost required now, or else you're going to get killed in this current environment, and the irony being that some of the best, most interesting, most talented people are most likely to have had the most interesting lives, so they are already taken out of the equation."

This is something I've thought about throughout the years following political scandals from the Clinton impeachment to the more recent adultery of South Carolina's Mark Sanford. All the way from soapbox to Senate seat, politicians must hang on tight while the details of their lives are picked apart like a thanksgiving bird. It is a well known fact that nothing is sacred in the world of politics and that those who consider seeking public office must look deep into their closets for skeletons, for if even a single bone is to be found, it will be.

In some ways, this scathing analysis of political actors is a good thing; it weeds out the undesirables and holds those in power accountable for their actions. However, it also serves to draw the public eye towards the personal lives of the individual and away from the real issues at hand. This scrutiny allows the public to treat politicians like celebrities, gossiping about their indiscretions while ignoring their policy preferences and merit. In fact, more U.S. citizens are aware of the Lewinsky scandal than can name the Senators from their own states. Even so, the public that concerns itself with these vapid details, gossiping incessantly about political indiscretions, is the same public that is quick to condemn politicians for their actions. The same ones that fuel the multi-billion dollar gossip industry, glorifying celebrities for their sex and drug escapades, are the same ones who turn their backs on otherwise intelligent and productive political individuals for the same behavior, or less. Of course politicians are held to a higher standard than celebrities, as well they should be, but the people mustn't feign shock when politicians fail to meet the incredibly high bar set for them.

I partially blame the news media for this hypocrisy; as it struggles to fill news pages and 24 hours of air time, it is constantly digging for something new to report. If there is something to be found, it will be found, for no other reason than to bolster the career of a reporter or bump up the ratings of a network. And in the same vein, the media is fickle, one day singing the praises of a new up-and-comer, and the next day condemning him or her for a minor infraction just to keep ratings up.

I assign an equal amount of blame for this duplicity to the Religious Right. Christian conservatives have been on a decades long witch hunt to expose sinners and keep them out of the political arena. Members of the RR have long been standing behind pulpits, preaching the merits of a Christian nation while using fear tactics and underhandedness to scare the public into rejecting anything other than their warped view of white, male, christian perfection. Meanwhile, many right-wingers themselves become enveloped in sex scandals and white collar crime and expect to be forgiven for their "temporary lapses of judgment."

With this kind of pressure, it is little wonder that many smart, talented individuals opt out of politics altogether. There are very few people who make it far into academia or become great successes without a few transgressions or interesting experiences, yet the hypocritical, puritanical Washington political climate condemns a "colorful" past, regardless of merit. Why do we only elect those who have book smarts, but no life experience? We elect these seemingly clear cut, straight laced men and women and then act surprised when they have a moment of weakness or a nervous breakdown. Why do we insist that our politicians live constrained, boring lives when we could broaden our horizons by allowing new, free-thinking, interesting individuals into the mix? Oscar Wilde once said "Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught." If we continue to believe that it is impossible to elect a good policy maker with a past, we will continue to miss out on a host of potentially excellent politicians. We will remain a stagnant nation, burdened under the weight of our traditions, moving at a snail's pace while others leave us in the dust.

Facebook: An Older Crowd, A New Dynamic

If you've recently noticed that your social networking sites are appearing more like your parents' yearbook than Facebook, you are not alone. The fastest growing demographic joining the networking site Facebook is 30 plus. Many of those joining are doing so after noticing the site's appeal to their children. Those in my age range may remember that Facebook used to be available for use only to those with a recognized university e-mail address. Since the site's expansion to allow everyone to join, the number of parents, and former teachers popping up in "suggested friends" has increased dramatically.

This melding of generations has positive and negative points for all involved. For the older crowd, it is a new and exciting place to interact with friends, family, and co-workers as well as an effective tool for reconnecting with old friends and love interests. It is also a hip way to familiarize themselves with the online community and become involved in something that once seemed to exclude anyone over 25. Conversely, many 30, 40, and 50 something Facebookers are spending ridiculous amounts of time chatting, updating statuses, and utilizing facebook applications like Farm Town. This may come at the expense of time spent with family, working, or on previous hobbies. This generation also appears to spend more extended periods of time on the site than younger users. This is possibly due to the fact that where social networking sites are new to the older crowd, their children have been members of Myspace and Facebook for nearly a decade.

Though their parents' cyber friendship is often annoying to children of newfound facebook fiends, it is a good way for parents to interact with their children, especially young ones, and keep tabs on suspicious activity. This has become cause for concern for many of my friends who worry that moms or kindergarten teachers are going to rifle through their party pictures and get a big surprise, but do not want to hurt their feelings by denying their friendship requests. For this reason, many college students have had to perform complete overhauls of their facebook profiles to remove potentially incriminating photos, comments, and information. Annoying, but probably a good thing anyway considering the fact that future employers are also using the site to check up on young professionals.

If you are a Facebook user from way back concerned that your cyber territory is beginning to resemble a family reunion complete with nosey uncles and wanna-be cool cousins, there are options for you. Facebook now offers many privacy settings allowing the user to customize photos and updates so that only select friends can view them. Not only does this provide an Internet safehaven from parents and future employers but it enables you to keep your business protected from creeps and weirdos.

As for you grown up Facebookers, congrats on your entry into the technology age! It is a wonderful thing to see an older group figuring out the joys of the online world, but please take a few tips from this experienced web user. Do not annoy your children online. It is charming to get a message from grandma online once in a while, but daily updates about cousin Karl or constant invites to join the Gardening Guru Group are just too much. Your kids will be much more likely to help you out with that feature you don't understand if you keep most of your activity to your own age friends.

On the contrary, don't ignore your family either! I know Facebook is fun, but it is only a website. The charm of the older generation comes in the fact that it grew up without most of this advanced technology. Children of the 50s, 60s, and 70s made their own fun and communicated in person. 80s and 90s kids have lost an element of interpersonal communication because of the Internet and texting age, and frankly it is sad. Don't let Facebook become who you are. That is advice that everyone, young and old, can benefit from. If boundaries and time limits are used when it comes to social networking sites, the web could very well evolve into a beneficial middleground to bridge the gap between generations.

Post-College Panic

Here I am, a person with a college degree. It came in the mail about a month ago, it is still in the envelope, and I still can't comprehend that it is much more than a stiffer-than-usual piece of paper with some embellishments. Sure, I feel a sense of pride when I realize that I have accomplished something more than most; only 39 percent of the U.S. population have a college degree. But for some reason I feel like it isn't enough. Maybe it has something to do with this: Here I am, a person with a college degree, living back at home and biting my fingernails day and night whilst surfing job listings on the web and trying to figure out just who it is that I am going to become. I am not entirely sure what to do with my degree, or that I even want to do something with it specifically. What if, now that I'm finished with college, I want to be a writer, or an astronaut, or a soldier?

Being a college graduate is an amazing thing, but it adds an extra element of pressure to the already mixed-up mix. Yes, some go into college knowing exactly what it is they will be when they get out, but I'm 100 percent sure I'm not the only one who graduates and still has no earthly idea. It doesn't help a great deal that I have a political science degree and no intention of going to law school or becoming a politician. I really can't imagine dealing with such a stressful environment day after day. On the flip side, I feel that as a college graduate, I should be a go getter. I should be out there in the field making things happen, changing the world, making a name for myself. But I'm still scared. I feel like a frightened child on the first day of school with ridiculous amounts of anxiety about trying something new. It is uncomfortable entering the working world, moving away from home to be a grown-up. All I really want is to make enough money to be able to shop at Whole Foods and to be able to come home in the evening to my cozy apartment, my cats, and a bottle of Riesling, and not worry about the next day until it comes. Why is it that I feel so inclined to break into something major, when all I really want to do is relax and live my life?

I think 4-5 years of an academic environment puts one at odds with oneself. What I mean by this is that when you are constantly stressing out about work that will be judged, work that will either lead to extreme praise or criticism, you get used to a pattern of stress, future-looking, and competition. It makes you feel that you must always be striving for bigger and better, competing with the next person, and making something of yourself. It does not allow you to believe that figuring things out as you go is an option. This, for some, is great preparation for the world of a professional, while for others it is merely a contradiction of their nature.

When it comes right to it, college is nothing like real life. Curriculum does not always prepare everyone for what is to come. For some, like me, it is merely a stepping stone, a resume builder, but not so much a determinant of who they are or what they will be doing in twenty years. For some, it is more an experience that will be remembered fondly, and that provided some necessary life skills more than job or academic skills. I honestly believe that if more panicked college graduates understood this, they would find the future less daunting, and would be more inclined to find their own way without letting their degree define them.