So Where the Hell Was Senator Voinovich that he Missed this Historic Healthcare Vote in the Senate ??? Oh do read this...He is indeed a Schmuck

What do we say when a Senator Abandons his Constituents on such an Important Issue as their Health and Wellbeing ? You can click the title , but I also encourage you to read below.
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(Enigma Background with Ohio)
I live here in Cleveland, and have for over three years....I have been astounded HOW the Political leaders here treat their citizens....and sadly it is not just Repugs that seem to disregard the citizens and their plight, it is also Dems. This county is facing huge unresolved corruption issues.( What else can you say when the FBI & FEDS bring U Hauls to town to clear out garages and offices ?) And we all remember the Spectacle and Demise of the 2004 Election ( I was not here for that...thank heavens..) BUT....In that time I have been to a HCR rally with Marcia Fudge ( and got to see Teabaggers up close), and then there's Sherrod Brown who I admire and respect and sent me two very nice letters about HCR.

And then there is Voinovich....The Senator has been a disappointment over and over.His office will rarely let one leave a message( either office DC or here.) I have never gotten Any responses to any letters or emails. What really bothered me is that earlier last year I heard when I was canvassing for Obama that is how is as a Senator and how he was as a Mayor as well.

( and for anyone that does not KNOW our History here, Alot happened under Mayor Voinovich, and the City has never really recovered fully and suffered.Dennis Kucinich did try to repair much of the damage when he was mayor....but it has never recovered financially or on any level business to education ).

So then we come to Voinovich MISSING this Historic Vote in DC.....He was here, in Cleveland...Celebrating his Reign as Mayor 30 Years ago with a Party for himself. I can not even fathom with Thousands and thousands UnderInsured and UnInsured here, the Foreclosure Capital of the Great Lakes, and Hundreds of Thousands losing their jobs, and he was Giving himself a Damn Party. What do we call that ? Arrogance ? Greed ? Narcissism ? What message does this send to his Constituents ? His People who are struggling everyday with Financial Burdens and 190 lost their Health Insurance and Health care every day, What is the Message that he sent them tonight ?

HCR Battle today...on Cspan2...Hopefully it will be Cloture, 60 Votes and then on to the Debate....find me at twitter @watergatesummer

I will liveblog it and Twitter it during the day....This is D-Day folks... Scroll down and you can read more about the Senate Bill.

(1) Center for Policy Analysis breaks down the House Bill.
It is worth looking over, even though the Senate Bill might be stronger, and has no Stupak Amendment.

(2) This report by the Commonwealth.org compares the Senate and the House Versions ( Both of these were found by Ray Beckerman).

(3) Delusional Ignorant Sarah Palin got her hate on early this am, Putting on her Twitter page to KILL the HCR Bill. ( And sadly she has 25,000 of her dumb RWNJ's as followers ).
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2:40PM today Blanche Lincoln will be voting Yes tonight at 8PM, that makes 60, and Mary Landrieu is the 59th.....so stayed tune for 4 PM Floor Debate....8PM Vote
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Teddy 's Passion WHY we need Healthcare for ALL-1978:

Teddy blasting on HCR:

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So they Voted whether to proceed...it was tense, voted at their desks...Senator Byrd arrived, pushed in his wheelchair....
and It was hard to hear the Responses...But we tweeted when we heard them...and finally it reached 60 YAYS and 39 Nays..
oddly Voinovich did not show and did not vote...really strange. I don't know WHY he did not show- but truely a coward.
His "letter" is posted in the comments, still unclear why this Historic Vote he would not vote. The News Coverage was pathetic, CNN and MSNBC both broke in with a little 2 Minute update- that was it. FOX covered "it", mostly be letting Repug Senators come on and whine....

BUT we should all know after many monthes of hard work and battle that we did get what Millions of UnderInsured and UnInsured Needed....a Path to Reform.....

So after Thanksgiving...the Debate and battle will begin anew...
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A post by a watcher...friend in the UK about Health, it's an Open Letter putting it all in Perspective....

President Clinton....Arkansas Needs Recognition of it's HCR Crisis....Put aside your Ego...Please

Please read the attached FDL post about President Clinton, who has a problem with the Free Clinic there...because he is carrying a grudge against Olbermann. We have Problems in this Country, Millions without Healthcare,Food, Homes, we don't have time for our past leaders to let Egos get in the way of Taking Care of Millions. Click the Title to read the post about Clinton.

8 Million Children UnInsured....Daily Kos Story...

Unemployment Map.....Click the title..There is No State that is "safe"

Wonkette has posted the Teabaggery Video...Mockumentary...

Click and watch.....amazing little piece of work...

The Senate HCR Bill Was released Online, Please Click the Title

(Sadly I could not open this file until 2AM, so I apologize the post on this Bill is late, but I will be working on it tomorrow).
Up front it is looking better than expected. There is a Public Option, and even though the State OpOut Part is there, it is set up that it can not go into effect for atleast 3 years. There is NO Stupak Language or Amendments that I have found. Young Adults could and would be covered on their Parents/Family plan until 26 years old. And up to 31 Million of UnInsured would be covered.
I will give you more information tomorrow. ( Click the Link to the PDF- it is large, over 2400 pages).
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LeftAlabama.com made a List of some of the Major Points::::
Opt out for the public option -- that doesn't kick in until 2014.
Penalty for individuals who don't purchase insurance is $95, also beginning in 2014.
It doesn't include the Stupak language, but the public option won't cover abortion services.
The opt-out mechnism is a law -- so it would have to pass both houses of our Legislature and be signed by the governor.
Subsidies would apply to a family of four making up to $88K or 400% of the poverty level.
Medicaid would be expanded.
No denials due to pre-existing conditions.
They raised the trigger limit for the tax on nice health insurance plans.
Medicare payroll taxes would rise 0.5% on couples making more than $250,000.

Top Four Posts are regarding the NEW Government Issued Mammogram Guidelines

As a Woman, a Nurse, and coming from a family that has battled Breast Cancer, and as Someone who was Cancelled by Insurance due to the Breast Cancer Family History, I am gravely concerned and disturbed by the New Guidelines issued by the Government Prevention Task Force.

(1) Please see below The Task Force has NO Practicing Physicians caring for Women with Breast Cancer.
(2) The Guidelines were made with No Consultation of Breast Cancer Experts, the Main Dr.Petitti who has been the spokesperson on the News is NOT a Medical Doctor, she has a Degree in Economics.
(3) Was this "Change" in recommended Care based on Preventing Higher Costs of Care ? Improved Screening Saves Lives WHY would it be changed at this point as Breast Cancer still is battled by One in Eight Women, and is still the Number 2 Cancer in Women. WHY were NO Cancer Experts or Organizations Consulted about this Issue ?

Please do read all the posts below and you will see WHY there is Concern about these New Guidelines for the Safety of Women. Please do talk to your Doctor and also do continue to see the American Cancer Society's Stance on this issue.

Please Do read the American Cancer Society's Stance on Mammograms is....
They Continue to Stand by their Recommendation for Yearly Mammograms for Women in their 40s, and Self Checks as well. I will post their stance in the Comments as well.
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In the Posts below I raised concerns that NONE of the "Doctors" that were hired by Bush and were to focus on these Prevention Strategies were Actual Practicing Medical Doctors- Especially CANCER Doctors. I also noted below that the Main Spokesperson for the Task Force is an Economics Professor, Dr.Pettit.

NOW the Other Link I was seeking about Task Force was DO they have a Connection with the Insurance Industry ? YES they do. I went back to their website and sure enough they set up Special Centers to Study Prevention , I posted the List in the Comments,PLEASE SEE THE LIST BECAUSE THERE IS THE INSURANCE LINK- BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHEILD....

Breast Cancer Doctors are Stepping Forward Questioning the New Mammogram Guidelines...

Below I have posted Concerns raised by two Breast Cancer Physicians, I will continue to post articles and links.
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The Charlotte Article linked to the title raises some concerns about the New Guidelines in these Snippets, do read what Dr.Coomer a Breast Surgeon says about the New Rules :::
"The task force contradicted the American Cancer Society’s guidelines that say all women should get a base mammogram done by the age of 40 – some women considered "high risk" should get a baseline by age 35. The cancer society recommends that women over the age of 40 should have a mammogram repeated annually until the age of 75.

Dr. Cynara Coomer, a breast surgeon at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and Fox News contributor said she disagrees with the new guidelines for several reasons.

"There are many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer between the ages of 40 and 49, solely on mammogram findings," Coomer said. "Not only that, this is not about survival outcome. This is also about treatment options that are available to women at an earlier stage. If you are diagnosed earlier rather than later, there are more treatment options available and the treatment is much less aggressive."

She goes on to raise more concerns :
"Coomer said 40 percent of the breast cancer patients she sees are under the age of 50 and many of them have been diagnosed from a mammogram.

"These recommendations put women at a risk for being diagnosed at a later stage, and as a result, we’ll see an increase in morbidity and mortality in women with breast cancer," she said.Coomer said all women – especially younger women – should perform self-breast exams periodically, in order to be aware of changes in their breast tissue.

"If you aren’t getting mammograms, and you check yourself, you may feel a lump and that could prompt a further medical workup," Coomer added.

"The other thing is that if the motivation is cost-savings – if we are diagnosing women at a later stage, the cost of taking care of those women will far outweigh the cost that we’ll be saving by decreasing the number of screening mammograms," Coomer added.
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Another Radiologist speaks up about his concerns for the for the new rules and the effects it will have on screening. Dr.Petitti has been the main spokesperson on the News reports working with the Government Prevention group, She is NOT a Breast Cancer Doctor or an Oncologist. Please do see the post below about the Prevention Task Force and look at their Credentials, not one is a Breast Cancer Doctor.

"That is, the likelihood of having a false positive test with all the attendant anxiety, the additional imaging tests, perhaps even leading to biopsy that may have been unnecessary," Dr. Diana Petitti with the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force said.

Now below do read Dr.Lackey's Concers as a Breast Cancer Doctor.

"The idea of stopping screenings because somebody's feelings might get hurt is ridiculous," Dr. Charles Lackey with St. Mary's Breast Center said.Dr. Lackey is a breast imaging radiologist with St. Mary's.He said the report ignores previous studies that show a 30 percent reduction in breast cancer deaths in the U.S., and worries the government and insurance companies might base reimbursement decisions on these guidelines, so if women want a mammogram before age 50, they'll have to pay out of pocket.

"That would really result in a lot fewer women doing it, especially in this time of economic downturn," Lackey said. He said that means more cancers detected at advanced stages when women are less likely to survive."This will result in more women dying of breast cancer, and these are our mothers and sisters and wives," Lackey said. "The government is more interested in saving money than in detecting cancer at an early age."

This puts him in the same group as the American Cancer Society, which is alarmed about how these guidelines might impact women's health."

LiveStrong Responds to the New Guidelines, Please do share this....

From the LiveStrong Website and the Statement released by Doug Ulman today::
"Today, LIVESTRONG President and CEO Doug Ulman issued the following statement in response to the new guidelines issued by a federal task force that contradict what women have been told in recent years about performing self-exams and getting annual mammograms beginning at age 40:
“We at LIVESTRONG fear that as a result of these new guidelines, more women will be lost to breast cancer.

Since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued these reversals, LIVESTRONG and our partners at the American Cancer Society have heard from legions of women under 50 who are breast cancer survivors and many more whose lives were saved as a result of a routine self-exam. The work that has saved their lives must be sustained, not discarded.

We must break down the barriers to screening and early detection, not create new ones. We must empower women to be well-informed about their health, not send them conflicting signals. And we must foster greater cooperation among the trusted voices in the fight against cancer to create clear guidance.Many women feel confused by these dramatic changes. We urge them to talk to their doctors about making the best possible choices for their health and to seek medical attention if they feel something is amiss, regardless of their age.”
Big Thank You to MoonAngelWings on Twitter...as they forwarded this to me earlier in eve, and it was very helpful.

Mammogram Guidelines Changed this week by the Government Prevention Task Force

Breast Cancer Guidelines were released by a New Prevention Task Force that works for DHHS. The real issue is that the American Cancer Society has not supported these New Government Recommended Guidelines. ( as far as I can find they also were not consulted ?) I went to the Government website, and was stunned reading the List of Doctors, not one is a Physician who Works with or Cares for Breast Cancer Patients. We have been told that the New Guidelines were set up to cut costs and save women anxiety on the Evening News CBS Nov17th.

Do Click the title to read about the Changes. It is unclear WHO if anyone will be better served or protected, especially low income women who may not be getting regular screening or care, will now get less care. Spending Less on prevention is Not Prevention, it will in the end raise Cost of Care for everyone, and limit options.

If this Prevention Task Force starts recommending More Elimination of Screening Tools, PSA for Prostate Cancer, PAP tests etc, I think we have to demand some answers WHO they work for, or are they merely a Schill Group that is set in place to Prevent Higher Costs to Insurance Companies.
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Breast Cancer Doc list Govt List not ONE single Breast Cancer Doc
Full List is in Post below.

Sebelius finally releases Breast Cancer research related to Health Care Reform ( sadly it does not address screening for those at risk)

(originally released 10.24.09 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
This report was accessible from site, I blogged about it a month ago, "Health Insurance Reform and Breast Cancer: Making the Health Care System Work for Women". NOW the report has been pulled from the site,as of this week the same time that NEW Mammogram Rules have been put in place. My original Complaint when I blogged about THE Missing Report was that it did not address Screening and Mammograms at all.

I wrote to the DHHS at the time to Question WHY Mammogram and Screening Costs were NOT in this report and evaluated as a Prevention Cost. NOW we see that Mammograms are being Eliminated for those under 50, and even Over 50 they are being reccommnded only every other year.BOTH of the NEW Guidelines will NOT prevent Cancer, they will prevent Early Detection which will lead to Higher Mortality Rates and Higher Costs for Late Stage Treatment.
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On the Website that had the report it this Snippet::::
“Thousands of women and their families are impacted by breast cancer,” Secretary Sebelius said. “We are fighting for health reform that will help improve treatment for women with breast cancer and doing all we can to encourage women to take the simple steps that can help prevent this disease.”

The new report highlights the problems in the health care status quo that significantly impact women who are diagnosed with breast cancer or are breast cancer survivors. The report notes:

Breast cancer is the second leading type of cancer among women. The disease will affect one in eight American women during their lifetime, with treatment costs totaling $7 Billion in 2007.

Breast cancer patients with employer-based insurance had total out-of-pocket costs averaging $6,250 in 2007, higher than out-of-pocket spending for patients with asthma, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or high blood pressure.

Breast cancer patients, even when in remission, are unlikely to find meaningful insurance coverage in the individual insurance market. A full 11 percent of individuals with any cancer said they could not obtain health coverage in the individual insurance market.

“Today, breast cancer patients incur thousands of dollars in debt, and breast cancer survivors struggle to get the affordable care they need,” Sebelius added. “Health insurance reform will bring costs down, make care more affordable and prevent insurance companies from discriminating against breast cancer survivors.”

List of the Prevention Study Team for the DHHS- NOTE NOT ONE Single Breast Cancer Doctor

This list is the Group that came up with the New Mammogram Guidelines, sadly it is unclear if ANY Cancer Orgs or Doctors were consulted about Screening, and Prevention Changes and WHO benefits from Changing Guidelines.
Please note that Dr.Petitti has been the Spokesperson on the News for this Issue-please note she has an ECONOMICS DEGREE ,SHE is NOT a Practicing Medical Physician.
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Members of the USPSTF: ( Government Prevention Task Force)
The USPSTF comprises primary care clinicians (e.g., internists, pediatricians, family physicians, gynecologists/obstetricians, and nurses). Individual members' interests include: decision modeling and evaluation; effectiveness in clinical preventive medicine; clinical epidemiology; the prevention of high-risk behaviors in adolescents; geriatrics; and the prevention of disability in the elderly.

Current members of the Task Force are listed below. They have recognized expertise in prevention, evidence-based medicine, and primary care:
Bruce N. Calonge, M.D., M.P.H. (Chair)
Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, CO
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Diana B. Petitti, M.D., M.P.H. (Vice Chair)
Professor of Biomedical Informatics
Fulton School of Engineering
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
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Susan Curry, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Public Health
Distinguished Professor
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
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Allen J. Dietrich, M.D.
Professor, Community and Family Medicine
Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH
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Thomas G. DeWitt, M.D.
Carl Weihl Professor of Pediatrics
Director of the Division of General and Community Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
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Kimberly D. Gregory, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Women's Health Services Research
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
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David Grossman, M.D., M.P.H.
Medical Director, Preventive Care and Senior Investigator, Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative
Professor of Health Services and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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George Isham, M.D., M.S.
Medical Director and Chief Health Officer
HealthPartners, Minneapolis, MN
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Michael L. LeFevre, M.D., M.S.P.H.
Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO
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Rosanne Leipzig, M.D., Ph.D
Professor, Geriatrics and Adult Development, Medicine, Health Policy
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
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Lucy N. Marion, Ph.D., R.N.
Dean and Professor, School of Nursing
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
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Joy Melnikow, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
Associate Director, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research
University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA
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Bernadette Melnyk, Ph.D., R.N., C.P.N.P./N.P.P.
Dean and Distinguished Foundation Professor in Nursing
College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation
Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
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Wanda Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
Associate Professor
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
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J. Sanford (Sandy) Schwartz, M.D.
Leon Hess Professor of Medicine, Health Management, and Economics
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA
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Timothy Wilt, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor, Department of Medicine, Minneapolis VA Medical Center
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Health Care Story MUST Read...WHY we need Reform..

This family went through hell...watching a young mom die without Health Insurance and without adequate care. Please read the story linked to the title, and you will be haunted how this young mom got so sick and died.As a young pregnant mom she needed prenatal care and good care,especially with the Swine Flu attacking young moms she should have received better care,whether or not she was Insured. As a nurse her story haunts me...worries me. Today her brave mother-in-law Midge went to a #HCR rally where she was met with the Wrath and stupidity of Teabaggers....What kind of country are we-that we let young moms die like this ? Where Self Righteous Repugs and TeaBaggers can insult a grieving mom at a TownHall Meeting about Healthcare for all of us ? How Broken are we ? Are we so Broken that a Lack of Compassion is clouding our Judgement as a Nation ?
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The Houghs went to a Town Hall Meeting this weekend, with Dan Lipinski.The Rep did indeed try to keep his cool, explain about the HCR bill as it is now, the crowd is hostile, volatile....This is the Teabagger crowd that yelled hurtful insults to this brave grieving couple who go to these events to share their story about WHY Reform is needed...( For Twitter: Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIlLyELifA0 )Midge Hough wrote this to me when she sent the video,"It's not pretty it shows the evil in humans who should be taking care of each other". She is right to raise this issue, is this why People can not understand this Bill , This Need, is it because they have No Compassion or not enough ? Do watch as Midge bravely tells the story of what happened to her daughter in law, and how she and her unborn baby died and she bravely confronts the audience, some of whom were laughing at the pain of her family. The Video is very well done.

The Houghs Description of their video: "The Chicago Tea Party Movement reveals their true side at Rep. Dan Lipinski's Town Hall Meeting on November 14, 2008 in Oak Lawn IL. It is hard to believe just how ugly they have become."
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This story must be shared please do forward either on Facebook or Twitter or on the Blogs. Thank You.

We lost a Wonderful Soul in Blogland this week,Grumpy Old Man.....

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For more than five years this wonderful wise old soul was a part of the action here in Blogland, cursing Bush and his Regime, telling us stories of his life abroad with his lively wife.He turned 75 just a little over 3 weeks ago. He taught us how to be angry,how to cuss,how to laugh,how to fight back...he was truly a good soul. I was lucky because I got to be friends with him writing him offline,sharing our love of the Northwest. He died last Thursday, he did not feel well, and died of a heart attack on the way to the Hospital, he died in the ambulance.If you wish to write to his lovely wife please email me- I have contact information.His wonderful blog is still up, his last post on Veterans Day was one of his best.

"And I Rise" Maya Angelou

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This is my favorite poem..always...it gives me hope...for all of us...no matter how bad things are...

Veterans Day....the most amazing post...very beautiful.

This photo was taken my John Moore, of Getty Images, it is heartwrenching....a photo of Mary, at her sweetheart's grave,Jimmy.Do read his thoughts about Arlington and love and loss...Beautifully written. ( Click the title to read his post on the Getty Image Blog).

Tomorrow on Veterans Day VETS eat Free at Applebees....please pass this on..

Military eat free at Applebee's on Veterans Day November11th,2009
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In appreciation for their service and sacrifice, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants coast to coast will honor U.S. veterans and active duty military with a free meal on Wednesday, Veterans Day. All U.S. veterans and active-duty military with proof of current or former U.S. military service will enjoy a free entree from a selection of six signature favorites. Those meals include the house sirloin steak, Chicken Tenders Platters, Fiesta Lime Chicken and others.
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And do you ever wonder has the Health Care Crisis hit our VETS ? yes.....more than 2200 Veterans died last year alone without Health Insurance or Healthcare.....

20 Years ago Today the Berlin Wall Came Down...November 9th,1989

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U2 Celebrating the Wall coming Down ( 3 days ago,MustSEE Video with Voices Singing& Historic Footage)

(the irony is that MTV would not air this concert here...)
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I remember it well...the Crowds, and how ordinary citizens showed up, but also artists, and musicians and journalists, and the crowds swelled, and then there were the Bright lights. I remember watching people reach out to each other and pulling others up. I kept wondering if in the summer there had been more cameras and Bright Lights and more journalists would Tienanmen Square have turned out differently ? It was a hopeful nervous watching those 24 hours. The Guards who were so young standing quietly and not doing anything as people climbed the wall and eventually tore it apart with sledge hammers....And as the Wall came down Something Bigger broke open....

It was the photos of people hugging or crying or reaching out to each other that really choke me up....people whose heart strings were tugged by their friends, neighbors,family on the other side of the wall. I hope that other countries that are divided or "walled" begin to see the reality of taking Down Walls ....That Unity can bring Greatness...It can make a Country Stronger.
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MUST SEE VIDEO:: Peter Jennings at his finest delivering the News about the Fall of the Wall
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Another Perspective about the Wall coming down ,reflecting 20 years later (The Guardian)
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Google Pictorial -History of the Wall
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KOMO News Coverage 1989,that I watched living in Seattle...really amazing.
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20 years ago tonight ....Where was I ?
In the early part of the evening I was working an inner city Seattle hospital in the Neonatal Nursery (NICU) I worked with a Nurse named Mia. Mia was from Iran, she had left in 1979. As we cared for the tiniest of premies, new to this world, fighting to be here. We watched as pale East Germans emerged that day, many were silent and crying. Mia Cried, she said it reminded her of her family whom she had not see in 10 years.Mia with her quiet defiant tears reminded me of the Pain of Separation...Of Exile.

For night shift I took the bus to the AIDS Hospice where I worked Night Shifts, a well loved newly owned fixed up Victorian Bungalow in DownTown Seattle. Being one of the first true AIDS Hospices in the Country, it was really just a Home where a small group of Nurses and Aides cared for AIDS patients in their last few months. That night I worked with Micheal, whose relatives are in Cuba and we sat and watched in a room with a patient from a War torn Africa Country. Each person saw the Wall Falling in a Different Light. Micheal saw it as Hope Emerging, that it meant good things for Cuba, for the Young People there.He pointed out "It is always the Young People who bring the Hope and the Strength, the Energy". And for the African Older Man who had worked as a Mercenary and a Guard in Different Countries in Africa he pointed out that it was the Guards who Changed History With the Quiet Strength, the Determination and perhaps even their Defiance. At the time we did not know if he was right, but we did watch they standing stoically quietly amidst the crowds. For George, he said it gave him renewed hope for South Africa and it's future.

For me it was about watching The People, they came together, they stood together they waited for each other, and made History Happen. People say that "Politics" don't effect them ,doesn't change their Lives, yet Politics creates Walls, Divisions, and hurts people....Only the People can Change that, but it means having Great Courage, Great Strength and Great Hope.
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7 Minute Video explaining History Of The Wall ( EUROX TV channel)

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Amazing Footage,song by a German " Wonder Could Happen"

The HealthCare Bill passed in the House...after a long day of Battle...

I spent all day at Twitter and watching CSPAN...it was quite an interesting Battle. Here are article about the whole Battle.
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(1) LA Time article about the battle and the Vote
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(2) Huffington Post has a wonderful post with lots of amazing details...
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(3) This article about RepJoseph Cao from La. is an inspiring read about a man who humbly,quietly bravely stood up to his Repugs and stood up for his Constituents....really amazing story of the LONE repug vote.