Tuesday, October 28, 2014

United Hysterics

​OMG!  Can you believe the news about Ebola since last week.  It is the most every changing, fluid situation. Here in New York and New Jersey, our local leaders are leading with terror, panic, and complete ignorance.  Has anybody remembered how you can contract Ebola?  Through bodily fluids!  That just doesn't seem that easy unless you work in healthcare or having anonymous sex.  Seriously,  Governors Cuomo and Christie are looking like fools.  Truly unfortunate for Cuomo because he's up for re-election and voting is in a week.  Not that he has a viable opponent, unless you are Far Right.  ​Christie just sounds like an ass.

Our National government isn't looking much better either.  The CDC is pulling double duty in the absence of a Surgeon General.  Though Obama named an Ebola Czar, our Congress and President should be ashamed of themselves for not being able to find a Surgeon General that they can agree upon.  Our system is in such disarray, I can't believe we are paying all those elected officials a salary, much less pension and welfare.  You'd think after these past six years I wouldn't be surprised by the do-nothing government, but every day my head shakes in disbelief. 

Stop the panic.  Ebola is a virulent disease in parts of Africa.  Here it is not.  We don't get up in arms about the thousands of deaths per year by guns, but a few people testing positive and one death from the Ebola virus, we go ape sh*t.  Government by hysteria.  That's how this country rolls now.  Govern by ignorance, we're in.  No facts to support a decision, no problem.  That's where we are.  

Come on, people. There is an election in one week.  Make the time to vote.  Your vote does matter.  It's all we've got that makes us a democracy.  Our democracy may be in crisis and extremely challenged, but I have to believe that this too shall pass.  We will come out stronger and better in time. I have to believe.  Everywhere in this country there is an election on Tuesday, November 4th.  There's a whole new crop of voters,  the brand new eighteen year olds. Take this opportunity to stand up and be counted.  

Watch, read, and listen.  Don't buy into the hysteria.  

Sidebars:  Halloween is upon us.  The costumes for the girls have gotten sluttier and sluttier.  Who the hell thought a Ray Rice costume was a good idea?  It's disgraceful and anyone that supports that get-up is just as guilty.  Not a big fan of adult Halloween.  Love little kids dressing up and going trick or treating.  Still am promoting The Graham Norton Show(BBC America) and John Oliver (HBO). If you want laughs and intelligence, these shows shouldn't be missed. The Voice is better than ever.  Congratulations to the CBS show, Madam Secretary for getting picked up for nine more episodes.  With the push to ban horse and carriages in NYC, does anyone know or care what happens to the horses that would be put out of work?  The World Series continues tonight in Kansas City.  The Giants lead the Royals 3-2.  Come on GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!  

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@DianaPodolsky

Friday, October 17, 2014

Flying the Koop

Do you realize how the gridlock and complete disregard for the American people is affecting us?  More than laws not being passed.  More than not getting a new airplane for the Vice President, whose plane has been grounded with mechanical problems four times in recent memory and flown commercially.  More than bickering about raising the debt ceiling.  We have no Surgeon General.  Did you hear that?  Did you realize that?  We are flying solo with this Ebola outbreak without an official medical leader to guide the plane.  This outbreak can't fly on autopilot.  You can see that the CDC needs far more support.  I am not laying blame at the feet of the CDC.  I am laying blame at the feet of our elected officials.  All of it!  Their bought and paid for positions are now endangering the lives of Americans here in the USA.  Since Congress is obliged to do the bidding of those that got them elected, Congress couldn't possibly pass any Surgeon General candidate that President Obama might put forth.  Why, you may ask?  Well, besides the fact that our Senators and Congressmen have clearly not been able to agree on anything, the NRA will not support any candidate for Surgeon General that Obama nominates.  Why, you may ask again?  Any Surgeon General nominee that the Obama Administration would suggest would take dead aim at the gun crisis in this country.  Period.  End of story.  

So here we are at the mercy of our government to protect us.  What the government used to do, as easy as breathing in and out, was make decisions that would be best for the people of this country.  Now, not so much.  Again, this all goes back to the poisonous well.  If we got the money out of politics, this country would still have bumps, but run much smoother.  We would have a Surgeon General to help guide this health crisis or the next health crisis.  Funny how this huge hole has not been on the front pages or the top stories on the news.  Instead of the media scary everyone about Ebola, they should be shouting loudly about the lack of a health pilot.  Where is the outrage?  Where is the shock?  Why aren't people standing up and screaming, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

All I can do is rant.  I can try to get the word out.  I can try to get people to vote.  I can encourage people in the Voter ID States to help others to get to the polling stations or vote absentee ballot.  Each of us has to do our part.  I will be ranting a lot about voting on November 4, 2014.  I am feeling completely disheartened by the state of our government and country.  The only way up is through elections, peaceful demonstrations, and revolutions.  

I'd love to know how many of you didn't know that we lacked a Surgeon General.  Feel free to pass the word along.

Sidebars:  The Giants won the pennant in an incredible series and game. Wednesday night's walk off home run was the first since the great 1951 Bobby Thomson.  What a legacy!  If you've never heard that call in baseball, take the time to listen to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrI7dVj90zs.  It's what makes baseball so fantastic. We wait for Tuesday night for the World Series to begin in Kansas City.  Go GIANTS!!!!!  It's Friday, that means it's time for Shark Tank, the Amazing Race, and tons more football.  If you haven't started watching The Affair on Sunday Nights on Showtime, pick it up.  It could end up being the most talked about new series.  Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Fall has really arrived here in NYC.  Have your leaves started to change color yet?  

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@DianaPodolsky

Flying the Koop

Do you realize how the gridlock and complete disregard for the American people is affecting us?  More than laws not being passed.  More than not getting a new airplane for the Vice President, whose plane has been grounded with mechanical problems four times in recent memory and flown commercially.  More than bickering about raising the debt ceiling.  We have no Surgeon General.  Did you hear that?  Did you realize that?  We are flying solo with this Ebola outbreak without an official medical leader to guide the plane.  This outbreak can't fly on autopilot.  You can see that the CDC needs far more support.  I am not laying blame at the feet of the CDC.  I am laying blame at the feet of our elected officials.  All of it!  Their bought and paid for positions are now endangering the lives of Americans here in the USA.  Since Congress is obliged to do the bidding of those that got them elected, Congress couldn't possibly pass any Surgeon General candidate that President Obama might put forth.  Why, you may ask?  Well, besides the fact that our Senators and Congressmen have clearly not been able to agree on anything, the NRA will not support any candidate for Surgeon General that Obama nominates.  Why, you may ask again?  Any Surgeon General nominee that the Obama Administration would suggest would take dead aim at the gun crisis in this country.  Period.  End of story.  

So here we are at the mercy of our government to protect us.  What the government used to do, as easy as breathing in and out, was make decisions that would be best for the people of this country.  Now, not so much.  Again, this all goes back to the poisonous well.  If we got the money out of politics, this country would still have bumps, but run much smoother.  We would have a Surgeon General to help guide this health crisis or the next health crisis.  Funny how this huge hole has not been on the front pages or the top stories on the news.  Instead of the media scary everyone about Ebola, they should be shouting loudly about the lack of a health pilot.  Where is the outrage?  Where is the shock?  Why aren't people standing up and screaming, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

All I can do is rant.  I can try to get the word out.  I can try to get people to vote.  I can encourage people in the Voter ID States to help others to get to the polling stations or vote absentee ballot.  Each of us has to do our part.  I will be ranting a lot about voting on November 4, 2014.  I am feeling completely disheartened by the state of our government and country.  The only way up is through elections, peaceful demonstrations, and revolutions.  

I'd love to know how many of you didn't know that we lacked a Surgeon General.  Feel free to pass the word along.

Sidebars:  The Giants won the pennant in an incredible series and game. Wednesday night's walk off home run was the first since the great 1951 Bobby Thomson.  What a legacy!  If you've never heard that call in baseball, take the time to listen to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrI7dVj90zs.  It's what makes baseball so fantastic. We wait for Tuesday night for the World Series to begin in Kansas City.  Go GIANTS!!!!!  It's Friday, that means it's time for Shark Tank, the Amazing Race, and tons more football.  If you haven't started watching The Affair on Sunday Nights on Showtime, pick it up.  It could end up being the most talked about new series.  Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend.  Fall has really arrived here in NYC.  Have your leaves started to change color yet?  

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@DianaPodolsky

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Voting From the Poisonous Well

If you know me at all, you know how passionate I am about voting in elections, any election and all elections.  What has me dismayed is that with zero campaign finance reform, democracy is being challenged and dying every day and no one is standing up.  I'm not talking about politicians or lobbyists standing up. I am talking about people, me, you, us.  Gone are the days that a person with ideas and smarts can throw their hat into the ring and run for office.  It is such a disservice to our Nation.  My daughter recently discussed with me that I should run for mayor or some office.  Great thought.  Love the idea, but the reality is, since Carolyn McCarthy of Long Island,  if you don't have the backing of a political party and deep pockets, you don't have a shot of discovering a "Mr. Smith," a person with integrity, ethics, morals, and intelligence.  A person not bought and paid for by others.  

The US Supreme Court took democracy down many more times when they allowed Citizens United to win their battle.  There are no limits to how much money people and companies can dump into our political system to get what they want.  If you think for one minute that there aren't strings attached to every dollar, grow up!  It is poisoning every aspect of our government.  D.C. is deeply rooted in paybacks, that our country is being hijacked for just a few.  It's the .01% of this country that is destroying our democracy. (.01% may not be the factual number but you get the idea).  The businesses, lobbying groups, billionaires, are holding this country hostage.  Why else would we not have a working government?  The money has to get out.  

The McCain-Feingold bill was supposed to help the campaign money woes, but too many loopholes and Supreme Court decisions took that bill to its knees.  If all our elected officials had term limits, maybe we wouldn't have to keep hearing about fundraisers all the time.  WTF??  These Congressmen and Senators spend more time worrying about their re-election than worrying about our Country.  Did you hear me??  Our Country!  Even the President of the United States is running around raising money for candidates.  All of you need to stop it!  No more fundraising!  

You know when the Tea Party first began, it was all about money and the economy.  They were on the right track for about a week, then they, too, got hijacked by the extreme Right.  Occupy Wall Street, a very short lived movement, had some good ideas and ran out of steam.  After watching all the spy series, maybe they were infiltrated by our government to wipe out or hijack.  

Look, in our current state, if you criticize Wall Street or the big CEO's, you're anti-capitalism.  If thinking that only a very few people should be thriving, then I am anti-capitalism.  Mostly the stinking filthy rich in this country didn't invent anything but more money.  It's not the tycoons of yesteryear.  The railroad and oil magnates built this country up, but didn't put any brakes on this.  So, maybe, just maybe if we took out all the money from politics, used only public funds, and had term limits, maybe this country could thrive again and we could elect people that really want to make a difference in our country and the world.  As it stands now, democracy is taking a hit every day.  As bleak as this all may sound, all we have, to have our voices heard, is our individual vote. Let it be heard. Don't take it for granted.  

Sidebars:  Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Medical Consultant for NBC News, must be suspended by the network for breaking her "voluntary" quarantine for the ebola virus.  It's embarrassing and disgraceful that she and members of her team went to pick up food from a restaurant.  Terrible judgment and NBC can't figure out how to handle it, so they just mangle it.  If you missed The Affair on Showtime, worth picking up on your DVR.  Not sure where it's going, but intriguing. We are in the thick of the NLCS and ALCS pennant playoffs.  Looks as if the Royals may take it over the Orioles in a sweep.  Come on Orioles.  The Giants are up 2-1. Let's go Giants!!!  ESPN's 30 for 30 last night was about the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco and its effect on the World Series (which I happened to be at).  Not as gut wrenching as I thought it could be, but so interesting because being there in the midst of it all, I missed so much.  Still promoting The Graham Norton Show on BBC America.  Really a great hour of laughs and fun.   

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@DianaPodolsky

Monday, October 6, 2014

Border Grills

Okay, people, I want to take on immigration.  I don't understand why so many on the Right are all concerned about all the Hispanic immigrants coming over our boarders.  Really!? Not I.  I am far more concerned with the haters and the carriers than anything else.  Why do we allow anyone that has a passport stamp from any country that hates America into the country?  Why do we let any American back into the USA that went and spent sometime in Syria and isn't in the Armed Forces?  Why doesn't the State Department have to approve travel to questionable countries?  Geez, we had to stand in line to get a special visa to go to France 25 years ago so they could regain control of entrances and exits.  (I am sure that something happened which precipitated that event, but can't remember).  So why is there a seemingly free flow to questionable countries?  In and out without flags?  I'm sure some people get flagged, but it doesn't seem thorough and inflexible.  From the beginning, when the reservations are made, the ticket is purchased, and an American citizen boards a plane, even circuitously, to the Middle East, there should be a big, bright red FLAG! Then the CIA, the State Department, someone can scour our citizens' online traffic and if there is anything, don't let them back in until a thorough investigation is completed.  Conversely, any citizen from another country that has some curious passport stamps may need to spend some quality time with authorities before entry is allowed.  Maybe we, the United States of America, make foreigners get a visa to come to America.  It may be a pain in the ass but it also raises money.  Okay, that's it for now on the Middle East "tourism" flags.  

Now, can we talk about West Africa?  If we are so damn concerned about Ebola, why are we allowing any flights into this country?  If the global community is so concerned about the spread of the virus, then together the countries and airlines need to track all the people that have travelled in and around Liberia.  Those people need to be quarantined before they can freely walk our streets or hospitals.  Honestly, what's the point of going through the questioning at Customs and Passport Control, if the foreign stamps and travels of the person aren't thoroughly vetted.  We can't be surprised that Ebola has come to our shores when our borders or so open and welcoming.  Maybe we have a new use for Guatanamo....

If I am not expressing it perfectly, I think you get the idea.  There is so much more that we and the global community can do to track possible suspects or carriers of Ebola.  So forget the poor hispanics, let's tighten the entries for the real concerns we face as a nation and the world.

Sidebars:  Real Time with Bill Maher brought out the political lion of Ben Affleck.  He was so far left, that it made Bill Maher seem right of middle.  Good television.  Shark Tank still touting as interesting, fun, and educational.  Homeland returned last night, good not great.  I still hold true that personal life in most of these professional people are poorly done on television.  Enjoying Madam Secretary still.  Dumping The Mysteries of Laura and sorry about that.  Always like to support shows that shoot in NYC.  Did you see the photo of Bruce Jenner on his way to the Elton John concert?  It's very disconcerting: http://entertainthis.usatoday.com/2014/10/06/bruce-jenner-debuts-another-new-look/
Very sad to read that the Jewish fraternity, AEPi, at Emory was spray painted with swastikas right after Yom Kippur ended.  It's not the first anti-semitic act at Emory.  The administration has condemned the acts, but the problem remains.  It's not about Emory; it's the ignorance and the haters.  Have to congratulate the San Francisco Giants in their 2-0 series lead over the Washington Nationals.  The game Saturday night was the longest game in playoff history almost 6 1/2 hours.  Today, back in San Francisco!!!  Go Giants!!!!!!!
Fall has definitely hit NYC.  Enjoy your day.

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@DianaPodolsky