Tim Garon, R.I.P.

Another loss to the inequity and absurd workings of the medical system of the United States. Here, in the only industrialized nation that does not consider health care a right to its people, the question must be asked - who merits the right to live? Should one be denied the right to life due to what is considered to be unacceptable extracurricular activity? If participation is prescribed from a doctor to relieve the pain and nausea from a hideous disease, is it still unacceptable? And if a person is of means to simply purchase any medical treatment necessary, would they still be denied? When does the withholding of such treatment to the person without means become unacceptable?



Tim Garon will never know the answers to theses questions. He died awaiting hope, only to be treated like a criminal. The world has lost a talented musical artist. May his death, and of others like him taken unnecessarily too soon, be a reminder of what's wrong within our borders. May it also propel others to work for what's right.

http://www.komotv.com/news/health/18475224.html

Tim's website.

Tim's MySpace Page.

Tim's CDs at CD Baby. There are links to other locations, to get his music, on the lower left of his CD Baby pages.

The Sick and Tragic - A Call For Help

This is in regards to an acquaintance of mine and a friend of my dear, late friend Rose. Rose suffered terribly due to diabetes. She was followed in death by another close friend, Billie Jean, who died because she had no health insurance and wasn't able to afford her insulin and other diabetic supplies. She was in otherwise good health, but was unable to balance her blood sugar levels one fateful day.



You may be as upset as I was to find out why Tim can't get the help he needs:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080426/ap_on_re_us/medical_marijuana_transplants

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/27/03629/6602/250/504192

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=204896115

http://www.rocketnews.com/topic/world/Timothy-Garon/

Earth Hour 2008 - What are you doing?

I hope everyone that see this posting will or has participated in Earth Hour 2008.

It is only an hour from 8pm to 9pm YOUR Local time.

For further information on Earth Hour, go HERE

Check out the Earth Hour video.

Is Green Energy Killing Us?

Today as I was cruising the internet, I came across this unsettling story about Green Energy production that is killing areas of China.

A Dark Side Of Solar Power

The growth of the solar power industry is poisoning land in China, according to the Washington Post.

In the rush to make polysilicon cheaply for use in solar panels, a Chinese company reportedly is dumping toxic waste into the ground, killing wildlife and endangering human health.

The newspaper describes green fields in the nation's eastern central Henan Province that have turned snow-white from the powdery waste of silicon tetrachloride, four tons of which result from every ton of polysilicon created. Toxic hydrogen chloride gas and acids waft from the waste.

To blame is Chinese polysilicon maker Luoyang Zhonggui High-Technology, which supplies to rising solar power star Suntech Power Holdings, according to the Washington Post.

To read more about this problem, follow the link:
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9889848-54.html

I have had reservations about some other versions of so called Green Energy, especially BioFuels and Ethanol. Both of these products, as of right now, rely way to much on "new crops" to make fuel. Much like using new trees for paper making instead of using 100% recycled paper or some mix of new and recycled.

Using land to grow fuel instead of food seems short sighted and morally wrong to me. Cutting down diverse forest, such as the Amazon to grow a select plant for fuel or to raise cattle, also comes across as short sighted and morally wrong.

Besides the stupidity of growing fuel on land that could and should be used to grow food, we also have this potential problem. Since they would be growing fuel instead of food, why bother trying to grow it organically? Why bother with doing things environmentally correct and sound? I feel they will, if they have not already done so, start using as many chemicals as possible to try and get the highest yield at the lowest cost with no regard to the environment or our safety. Thus polluting the ground, the water and the air all for the profit of making fuel.

I believe that all commercially made biodiesel should ONLY be used for big rigs and other types of vehicles that typically use diesel as their fuel. If we increase the demand for consumer biodiesel, then we will be unwittingly increasing the negative environmental impacts causes by the production of these fuels.

The only viable alternative fuels that I believe should be used for cars and light trucks, is hydrogen and electricity. Yes, these all need to be produced by something, but we have a wide array of choices in ways to produce these if we choose to make it happen. Such as, Solar (made cleanly), Geothermal (done with little environmental impact), Wind (with careful placement to diminish visual and noise pollution), Wave and Tide energy (new and looking promising) and many others.

As much as I hate nuclear plants, I could see very very limited use of them (maybe by using the plants that exist) to help produce the hydrogen needed for cars and trucks (fuel cells, etc).

Geothermal is the one energy source that I believe has the biggest potential to make the biggest positive impact, in the shortest amount of time and at the lowest cost.

When it comes to Solar Cell production, I believe that this company is far ahead and looking in the right direction.

NanoSolar - http://www.nanosolar.com

The Progressive 'Sphere' Grows with EENR

Recently I came across a new Progressive Blog called EENR Progressive Blog.

Our acronym, "Edwards Evolution, Next Revolution," reflects the formation of the EENR group originally as Edwards Evening News Roundup for supporters of John Edwards during the 2008 presidential primary.

Now I might have called it "EENR Progressives Blog" or maybe "EENR Progressive Revolution" (partially playing on what EENR stands for that I quoted above), but that is just me.

What strikes me as a positive, for this new place in the progressive 'sphere', is that they are encouraging more diaries to be written about issues, causes and local races rather than the presidential candidates. It is these presidential 'candidate' diaries that have taken over and ruined so many of the best progressive/liberal/Democratic blogs out there, mainly because of all the mean spirited infighting by supporters of candidates, trolls and freepers.

This little place here, called Washington Woman, would like to one day achieve what EENR is and hopefully will continue to be. A sane place for discussion and action on important issues, causes, events and yes... candidates.

One of the better diaries written at EENR, in my opinion, would be this diary:

Women's History Month: The 19th Amendment

The author of this diary plans on doing a series for the month that are relevant to Women's History Month.

Go ahead and check out the new EENR blog and let us know what you think.

...

As always, one of our FAVORITE places will always be the blog and website for Equal Time Radio.

Martin Luther King, III Praises John Edwards

Martin Luther King, III Praises Edwards For Leading The Fight For Economic Justice In America.

Following a meeting at the King Center in Atlanta on the afternoon of Saturday, January 19th, 2008, Martin Luther King, III sent John Edwards a letter praising Edwards' commitment to fighting poverty and speaking out for those without a voice. King, the first son of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the President and CEO of Realizing the Dream, said his father was a fighter and urged Edwards to continue the fight for justice and equality. He also urged the other candidates to follow Edwards' lead.

January 20, 2008

The Honorable John R. Edwards
410 Market Street
Suite 400
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Dear Senator Edwards:

It was good meeting with you yesterday and discussing my father's legacy. On the day when the nation will honor my father, I wanted to follow up with a personal note.

[snip]

So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits, who think this is a horse race, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter. As a friend and a believer in my father's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud.

Sincerely,

Martin L. King, III

The entire text of the letter is Here at John Edwards site.

A PDF copy of the actual letter is Here at John Edwards site.

We are also having another grassroots fund raiser.
By using the link from the graphic below, it will take you to a donation page from one of the grassroots supporters. It is a legit page on the John Edwards website.
The link is also here: https://www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/mygrassroots/?page_id=MjkxNTg

You can also donate by going to http://johnedwards.com and clicking on the DONATE link.

Need something more to do? Need more ways that you can help John Edwards to help all of us?

Please help out if you can.

Look for the links at the top of the phone banking page, here:
http://www.johnedwardsphonebank.com/

Here is a great tool to use for contacting the media and congress.

Congress.org
http://congress.org

Media:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/

On This Day We Remember... MLK and more.

On this day we remember Martin Luther King Jr.

Our thoughts are drawn to the fight for racial and economic equality, but some of us may forget the other great things that Martin Luther king Jr. stood for and against, fought for and died for.

He spoke out against the tragedy of the Vietnam War. The comparisons of the Vietnam War and the current tragedy known as the Iraq War, can be seen and heard in his words concerning the Vietnam War and our responsibilities as humans and as citizens of the United States.

He died while fighting for the poor, the disenfranchised and the rights of all workers to unionize for the good of all not just the good of the few, the greedy and the powerful.

This video gets to the heart of his feelings concerning the Vietnam War. These words can and should be used in our opposition to the current tragedy in Iraq.

For a more complete version of Martin Luther Kings Jr's speech about the Vietnam War, please check here:

Martin Luther King, "Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam"

Text of his entire speech can be found here.

Real Audio of his entire speech can be found here.

The following video is very haunting and sobering...

Great minds, Great speeches, Great men, Bad times


On this day and for all days to come, I wish you Peace.

John Edwards Money Bomb! Can it Be Done?

I totally agree with the grassroots putting together this "money bomb". I hope that we are not reaching to high, but what the heck, if you don't try you fail! So anything that helps encourage people to donate to John Edwards is a good thing.

This idea was originally put together by KingOneEye at DailyKos and it being kept alive across the blogosphere. Here is an example from today.

Can we make this happen? Who knows. Will it succeed in raising a large amount of money in one day? I really think it will.


Click on the picture or go here:
https://www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/form/

Challenge the system: Why John Edwards Is Right.

This Video Hits The Point Why Edwards is Right!

This video speaks to the heart of why I support John Edwards. After reading the diaries about the Chamber Of Commerce coming to attack Edwards and Obama, there is no doubt that John Edwards is EXACTLY right on this!

See the diaries here and here.

One Of The Big Reasons I Support John Edwards

Take a look at this video and see if John Edwards is on the right track. I think he is.

Part of what he states, is that we can not make the changes we need in this country if we do not win the battles against corporate power, big money and greed first.

Dec. 15th 2007 is Bill Of Rights Day

This saturday Dec. 15th 2007 is Bill Of Rights Day.

I would expect to see the liberal/progressive blogs pushing this as a way to fund raise for our candidates and for our rights, but I see little.

I am a John Edwards supporter because I believe he is honest with his support of We The People, Our Constitution and Our Bill Of Rights.
http://johnedwards.com/

For more information concerning Our Bill Of Rights go here:
http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/

For information on where and how you can help celebrate Bill Of Rights day go here:
http://billofrightsinstitute.org/borday

In my town we are celebrating it here: (7pm to 9pm)
http://tahomaorganizer.com/annual-bill-of-rights-day-celebration

One last thing, some Dennis Kucinich supporters are attempting a huge one day donation drive on Dec. 15th.

See more info here:
http://www.december152007.com/

and here:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/12/14/211235/53

As I mentioned, I support John Edwards but I wish the Kucinich supporters all the best with this fund raiser.

Here is a passionate submission to the local publication, The Tahoma Organizer, by my friend Michelle. She, and the Organizer, have been invaluable in this community for being a voice for all of us who care what's happening in our world. Please take a moment to read:

As originally posted at The Tahoma Organizer

An Open Letter to Sgt. Smith

by michelle — 2007-12-12 14:44

I’m sorry that I couldn’t look you in the eye when I saw you in the McDonalds line today.

I’m sorry that I was going to sneak a peek at you on the sly. As I stood behind you, I knew from your height, the width of your shoulders and length of your limbs, the perfect shape of your head and, to be honest, the curve of your buttocks under your uniform, that you just had to be gorgeous. You spoke to the girl behind the counter with a surprisingly rich voice, like a smooth but smoky shot of bourbon, and the inept young woman finally looked up to provide some service, gasped audibly, and didn’t look away from you as she stuttered through your order.

I’m sorry I admired your form even more as the muscles in your back tightened with what I thought was masculine pride at her stare. I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for you to turn around to give me my little thrill of the day.

I’m sorry that half of your face is gone.

I’m sorry your cheek and jaw bones are missing, and that the grafted skin over that grossly concaved canvass looks so painful. I’m sorry your right eye is gone and that I wondered what that obscene, horrific white thing in there was, the sliver that I could see, anyway.

I’m sorry you don’t look people in the face anymore.

I’m sorry that while we waited for our orders I stood beside you for three minutes and didn’t ask what happened, even though I know what happened, so that you could talk about it, explain in a loud voice that you are lucky to be alive and not a freak of nature.

I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how much pain I felt for your injury, for your new life, for the loss of yourself and the challenges you’ll have, maybe the love that you’ll miss, the conflict you must feel, have to feel, any time you are brave enough to look in a mirror.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry that when I went to my car and burst into tears that I didn’t instead burst back into the restaurant and try to take you in my arms as a son or brother, husband or lover, neighbor, human-being, simple vertebrate, anything, to tell you how sorry I am for your loss, to lie to you and tell you everything is going to be alright.

I’m sorry that political parties send me straw polls asking me to help them prioritize our country’s “issues” and concerns, and that when I answer, it is blithely; that when ABC or CNN email me “breaking news” about the stock market I don’t find a way to insist they focus instead on this war and whether its vicious casualties are justified, and to not let go, hang on to that unholy bitch like a pitbull until we get answers and then act on them; that I haven’t sent even one, no, not one, letter to Congress or the President demanding an end or even just a time-out to this war until its purpose has been satisfactorily explained and understood, until we’re all grimly convinced the losses it incurs, including your face and future, really were and are unavoidably necessary.

I’m sorry that I did not start or participate in a different war, a bloodless but possible war that might have stopped the thoughtless and casual use of your flesh, that before I even put on a uniform I felt weary of the probable futility and rolled over, stomach up. It’s possible that when I rolled, my lazy flailing leg tripped the device that blasted your bones into pieces.

I’m sorry if you’ve been told or convinced you’re nobly protecting people like me, people who haven’t bothered to protect you. Because you were the vulnerable one. You enlisted to follow orders. You took orders from people who are supposed to take orders, ultimately, from the citizenry. Me. Us. And we haven’t demanded they be reasonable ones. We haven’t insisted they be held up to scrutiny every single day. Every minute. That very second you became someone no one will ever want to look at.

I’m sorry I didn’t storm the castle for you. You’d do it for me. There is hideous proof. I’m sorry I haven’t been held accountable for what’s happened to you, and to so many others like you. Because I am. I am the one who should hide my face.

I’m so, so sorry, but somehow glad, that I’ll never see you again, that you’ll never tell me you forgive me. Especially if you really do.

Yours, in shame, Michelle

Originally posted at The Tahoma Organizer

Prometa - Pierce County's Swan Song?

Things have gotten hotter than a glass pipe on a Friday night here in Pierce County, who some have referred to as the meth capitol of the nation. Yes, we have had more than our share of woes due to the hideous epidemic, and that is why it seemed a good place to launch the pilot program known as Prometa. As stated in a previous entry, the program consists of the ingestion of three drugs that have been FDA approved, but not together and not for said purposes. The first dose is administered intraveiniously, followed by supplements twice orally. The effect is said to be a reduction of cravings for methamphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol. This is to enable the patient to focus on counseling, which is required in the program, as well as to adhere to court orders, and to perform everyday tasks. Many graduates have claimed to have had phenomenal results and have credited Prometa with saving their lives. But the program is still in its infancy and the double-blind placebo tests, which compare subjects taking the drug cocktail with those who are only told that they are receiving such, have not yet been released.

Last April, the Pierce County Council voted to allocate $400,000 to the Pierce County Alliance to assist in Prometa aid to those unable to afford the costs. Those working with the program at the Alliance, as well as in other parts of the country who have been participating, have reported dramatic improvements in their clients. So much so, that the Alliance executive director Terree Schmidt-Whelan, in her excitement of Pometa's promise, bought stock in the Hythiam Corporation, the company that produces Prometa. So did Pierce County Executive, John Ladenburg. News of Mr. Ladenberg's purchase made it to some of the Council members, who cried foul due to Ladenberg's vote to approve public funding of the program. Ladenberg, as well as Schmidt-Whelan bought their shares after funding was approved and have since sold them at a loss.

Council members Shawn Bunney and Dick Muri commissioned the work of Performance Auditor Matt Temmel to conduct what was told to the Pierce County Alliance would be a pre-audit to determine if an actual audit into Prometa, and its effectiveness, was money well spent. Then, at the Oct.24 meeting, although not listed on the original agenda, but later amended, Bunney called upon Temmel to give his report. Other Council members and the staff of the Pierce County Alliance were informed on the previous day by e-mail that the Prometa funding would be reviewed. In what would prove to be an emotional exchange of debate between impassioned Alliance members, along with a drug court judge who inquired as to why this was being brought up before the original date of April 2008, and before the study results were concluded, and Bunney and Temmel. Claiming to be a concerned "steward of the taxpayers money", Bunney concluded that he would revoke the remaining funds of $150,000 from the Prometa program, even though Temmel admitted that, while he saw little evidence that the program worked, he had not taken into account the numbers as a whole, including patients who had financed their own treatment and those outside of Pierce County. He had instead focused on the patients receiving county funding, as Bunney had asked. The result has been that other areas of the country are facing having funding cut as well. But, on an interesting note, just up the road in Federal Way, Wa. (King County), on the advice of a former employee who is in recovery due to Prometa, City Council member Jack Dovey has authorized the use of $20,000 to begin a trial program in their city. This, even after the cuts in Pierce County.

The Prometa story had caught the attention of the fine folks from the television show, 60 Minutes, who paid Tacoma a visit. As a long-time fan of the show and having an interest in the story, being as we had been keeping an eye on it at Equal Time, I couldn't resist tuning in. Scott Pelley personally spoke to recovering addicts singing the effects of Prometa. He also spoke to the seemingly disingenuous CEO of Hythiam, Terren Peizer, who also rallied the cry for Prometa as he wiped the crocodile tears from his eyes. He did not, however, speak to Terree Scmidt-Whelan, John Ladenburg, Matt Temmel, Shawn Bunney, Dick Muri, or any other Pierce County Council or Alliance member.

Not too surprisingly to anyone who had been keeping an ear to the political ground locally, after the now infamous council meeting, and only after the 60 Minutes episode went into production, Shawn Bunney announced his candidacy to run against Council member Calvin Goings for the Pierce County Executive seat to be vacated next year by John Ladenburg. Unlike the Tacoma City Council, the Pierce County Council is a partisan race. Goings, like Ladenburg, is a Democrat. So is Pierce County Auditor, Pat McCarthy, who recently announced that she will vie for Ladenburg's position. Bunney, however, is the only Republican who has thrown his hat in the ring to fill the vacancy that will be left behind by the man whose ethics have been called into question over the Hythiam stock purchase and the frivolous spending of the taxpayers' money. Concerned representation or power grab?

Many of us here in our beloved town, ironically dubbed the "most wired city" (in recognition of our own Click! Cable TV company), will be interested in seeing what the placebo studies result in, and whether or not we will continue to tie up our jails and judicial system or continue to look for alternatives that may offer hope.


To follow the News Tribune's coverage of Prometa in Pierce County, see:

http://tinyurl.com/22m7ko

No Woman, No Cry

Apparently assault is not illegal or punishable in this country if it is
done in the name of entertainment. The only person threatened with
possible arrest was the woman who complied with the perpetrators'
demands. Left out of this article was the fact that the women who didn't
comply had beer bottles hurled at them and they were spat upon. How far
will this mob mentality be allowed to go? While the U.S. falls short of
condemning the misogynistic acts of the Saudi Arabian government, and
considering our stance on torture, how long will it take before we turn
into being just like them?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/sports/football/20fans.html?em&ex=1195794000&en=10054cdcf920bb08&ei=5087%0A&exprod=myyahoo

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/20/africa/ME-GEN-Saudi-Rape.php

Only Fools would Bomb Iran - are we to be the fools?

Scott Ritter has been right on the money with so many things. The only thing the right wing smear machine ever does to try and counter what he says, is to try and personally smear him. They never deal with the facts and the realities.

So, here we have Scott Ritter giving all of us some good advice and something real to think about. Will we take it, will we listen or will we (under the weight of the Bush administration) be the fool of all fools?

Are We The People fools or is it just the Bush administration and the fools that follow them?

Will we stand up and say ENOUGH or just go back to watching 'reality TV'?