2018-A Few of My Favorite Things

Sorry Kevin Spacey, You Are Not Absolved of Sexual Predation

"The first accusation of sexual misconduct against Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey landed on Oct. 29, and a little more than a week later more than a dozen men —  including five who said they were teens at the time — have come forward to allege he sexually harassed, assaulted or attempted to rape them."
-USA Today 

On Christmas Eve, Kevin Spacey launched a bizarre video defending his behavior while trying to resurrect his dead in the water career. It can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=let+me+be+frank. 

Here is the best review of Mr. Spacey's pathetic attempt to rally public support:
“Let Me Be Frank,” the video is tellingly titled after Spacey’s House of Cards character. And just like the eponymous track of another Frank (Sinatra), this insane video is Spacey’s version of “My Way.”
Any bit of oxygen in a room which Spacey is inhabiting must be his to own, you sense. He has now made himself the victim of events, just like so many accused men do, particularly ones likely surrounded by sycophantic flunkies and friends. It’s amazing how much blind self-affirmation and craven self-denial money can buy you.
...And today, Spacey chose to collide events yet again. He released the video on the same day prosecutors confirmed that Spacey was facing a charge for indecent assault and battery on a teenager at a Nantucket bar in July 2016. Spacey will be arraigned at Nantucket District Court on Jan. 7.
Last year, former news anchor Heather Unruh stated that the assault had happened to her son at a Nantucket bar. Her son was, said Unruh, a “star-struck, straight, 18-year-old young man who had no idea that the famous actor was an alleged sexual predator, or that he was about to become his next victim.”
As The Hollywood Reporter made clear, Spacey is still under investigation in Los Angeles and London, England, for other alleged sexual assaults.
Instead of a shred of atonement, explanation, or even reflection, in the video the tone Spacey essentially goes for is “I’m back, bitches.” (I’m no lawyer, but going full Frank Underwood-meets-Margo Channing in court, if that is now his plan, is a terrible real-world move.)"-Daily Beast

It does not matter what one's gender, sexual affiliation, religion, or political party is. Sexual predation is sexual predation. No one, even Kevin Spacey or Frank Underwood, is above the law. 

Christmas Presents Our President Needs

Putin's Christmas Gift List to Trump

1. Shut down the US government.

2. Get General Mattis to resign.

3. Pull US troops out of Syria.

4. Start building Trump Tower Moscow.

5. Pardon all the Russians involved in Mueller 

    'witch hunt'.

6. Refer to the Ukraine as a Russian suburb.

7. How about a Mar-a-Lago vacation together?

8. Lock up Hillary Clinton.

9. Eliminate Russian sanctions.

10. Make Ivanka the Russian ambassador. 

ANOTHER AFFLUENZA FRAT BOY SKATES RAPE CHARGES

FROM CNN: 'Jacob Walter Anderson was facing four charges of sexυal assault that were dismissed because a plea bargain was reached on Dec. 10. As a result, instead of a trial, Anderson pleaded no contest to unlawful restraint and received a sentence that includes a $400 fine, a three-year probation, mandatory counseling and community service hours. He will also not serve any jail time nor have to register as a seχ offender.'

As women are slammed for activism against sexual harassment and assault, we have a perfect example of why women are supportive of the 'me, too' and 'Time's Up' movements. Just like Brock Turner, Jacob Walter Anderson received a slap on the wrist for a horrendous rape. Women know this story well-we all know women who have endured sexual assault and keep silent. 

The courageous victim in this case did not keep silent. She clearly articulated in her victim impact statement to the court, exactly how Jacob Walter Anderson raped and humiliated her. He is now free. She will spend her life trying to cope with the sexual assault. 

Below is the victim's statement to the court. WARNING: her description of what she endured is sexually graphic.

"Judge Strother,

I am devastated by your decision to let my rapist Jacob Walter Anderson go free without any punishment. Rape is a violent crime that alters the victim’s life and the life of everyone around them forever. He stole many things from me the night he raped me. I will never be the same again.

On February 21, 2016, when I was a 19 years old, sophomore at Baylor University, Jacob Walter  Anderson took me to a secluded area behind a tent and proceeded to violently and repeatedly rape me. He repeatedly raped me orally and vaginally while choking me, gagging me, and physically forcing my body into positions so he could continue to rape me. I had no control over my body and no way to stop him. (please see my original written police statement) When I collapsed on the ground he pulled down his pants and shoved his penis in my mouth and down my throat gagging me. When he forcefully picked me up and shoved me into a wall to rape me vaginally from behind he calmly and coldly said “It’s fine. You’re fine.” When I tried to pull up my pants or sit he shoved me to the ground and shoved his penis back down my throat and continued to choke me. When he forced me up again and started to rape me vaginally again I blacked out permanently. When I was completely unconscious, he dumped me face down in the dirt and left me there to die. He had taken what he wanted, had proven his power over my body. He then walked home and went to bed without a second thought to the ravaged, half-dead woman he had left behind.

Jacob Anderson will most likely rape again. He is now free to roam society, stalk women and no one will know he is a seχ offender.

Jacob Anderson and all rapists who get away with their crimes will never be cured, never change. If anything, they will be emboldened by their power over women and their ability to escape justice and punishment. They will think they are invincible and most definitely increase their violent pathological and predatory behavior.

Everyone knows Jacob Anderson violently raped me repeatedly and almost killed me. The evidence is overwhelming. Now, I not only have to live with his rape and the repercussions of the rape. I have to live with the knowledge that the Mclennan County justice system is severely broken. I have to live with the fact that after all these years and everything I have suffered, no justice was achieved. I have to live with the fact that my rapist will go home smiling and happy and laughing at me. He stole my body, νirginity and power over my body and you let him keep it for all eternity.

Hilary Laborde—where are you Ms. Laborde? Are you here in the courtroom? No? And you, Abel Reyna—where are you? Are you here? No? If I had the courage to come back to Waco and face my rapist and testify, you could at least have had enough respect for me to show up today. You both will have to live with this decision to let a rapist run free in society without any warning to future victims. I wonder if you will have nightmares every night watching Jacob rape me over and again. Of my body lying unconscious and alone in the dirt waiting to die. Of my face transforming in your nightmares into someone you love. Your mother, your daughter, your niece, your granddaughter, your best friend, your wife, your girlfriend.

Jacob Walter Anderson. It must be horrible to be you. To know what you did to me. To know you are a rapist. To know that you almost killed me. To know that you ruined my life, stole my νirginity and stole many other things from me.

I would have loved to have stayed at Baylor. Laughed and made memories with my friends. Learned from my professors. Run in the Baylor line one final time my senior year and walked in my graduation ceremony in my cap and gown with my family proudly cheering me on. I would love to be living away from home pursuing my career the way I had planned. Not be on medication. Not be getting therapy. Not be in and out of the doctor’s office. Not having nightmares. Not be triggered daily into anxiety. Not be fearful. Not be sad. Not be afraid of every man that looks at me or thinks I’m nice and just wants to meet me and get to know me. To be happy and carefree and enjoy daily life. I am none of these things because you raped me and almost killed me and stole them all from me.

To the two women who created the petition of outrage over this plea, I thank you. To the over 85,000 people around the world who signed the petition to deny this plea, I thank you! To all my friends and family, doctor, teachers, and lawyers who believed in me and stuck with me over the past three years, I thank you. You held me up and kept me strong. To my parents and siblings, thank you. I would not be alive without you. You kept me going when I could no longer handle living. It’s been a very difficult three years. It will continue to be rough for a very long time. I know it has impacted all of you and yet you never left my side. You never stopped loving me. You never stopped protecting me. You never stopped fighting for me and you never left. You never left.

Thank you."

TIME'S PERSON OF THE YEAR: THE GUARDIANS OF FREE PRESS

Rest in Peace Mr. Khashoggi, along with all your fellow journalists who lost their lives persevering for the truth. And to those living journalists who daily risk condemnation, threats, torture, and death, we salute your courage. Let us never forget your contributions to a free and transparent democracy. Thank you for upholding the First Amendment.

Presidential Harassment Joins the 'Me, too" Movement

After reading today that Mr. Trump invented a new form of harassment, presidential harassment, I quickly jotted the following communique to him. If you would like to add your opinion, please feel free to contact him at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

'Sorry, but there is no "me, too" movement for presidential harassment. You are supposed to have intestinal fortitude to handle the responsibilities of your office instead of whimpering about being the legitimate target of several judiciary probes. Your self-inflicted political wounds do not make you a victim; it makes you accountable for all the corrupt appointments, executive orders, and schemes you initiated to fatten your coffers. Mr. Mueller is about ready to come for you and your crooked family.  Get ready to reboot Nixon's, "I am not a crook" speech.'

The Stupidity of the Anti-Vax Movement

More and more the anti-vaccination movement is growing worldwide. In the United States alone last year, there were outbreaks of hepatitis A, mumps, measles, pertussis, and more than 80,000 deaths due to influenza. In spite of the myth that vaccines causing autism has been debunked, anti-vaxxers cling to the belief that big Pharma and the government are not telling the truth on the dangers of vaccination. I am assuming these are the same people who do not believe in climate science either, since there will be more infectious disease as the world gets hotter. 

The generation plagued with death and disability from diseases like polio, pertussis, and tuberculosis were the ones who created mass vaccination so this generation would not suffer the devastating consequences of infectious diseases. It is a pity that this generation has not seen iron lungs, children dying from pertussis, and people quarantined in sanitariums. 

After working more than a decade in immunization, I am still baffled by the stupidity of anti-vaxxers but I no longer argue with them. Currently there is an emerging outbreak of acute flaccid myelitis, known as AFA, which is a rare polio-like illness with no cure, no vaccine, and no certainty of when it will stop. Their children went to bed with a cold and woke up being unable to use their limbs. I wonder if any of the 144 parents of the children affected by AFA are anti-vaccine. My guess is no. The only hope for these and future patients, which are mainly children, will come from science and pharmacology. But until people confront the reality of death and disability from infectious disease, the movement will continue to seek converts.

Don't get me started on the Hollywood celebrities that have joined this bandwagon. Many of them are blaming their children's autism on vaccines. It does not make a difference that the physician, Andrew Wakefield, who started this rumor with a flawed small study (and lost his medical license to practice because of it), is still being quoted. They do not want to think that genetics, epi-genetics, having children when the father is older, being exposed to infectious disease (especially in the second trimester of pregnancy), may have contributed to their child's autism. To read more on the science of autism, go the incredible research being done at the University of California, San Diego: https://autism-center.ucsd.edu. 

Unlike the anti-vaxxers, I have seen death and disability from the foolish consequence of not getting vaccinated. I have seen the tears of a first-time mother grieving the loss of her 8 week old baby from pertussis. I have seen a 36 year old die from chickenpox. I have seen countless people die from flu and pneumonia. Not me, I am taking my chances on science and vaccines. 

Our New Acting AG's Masculine Toilet

Thanks, Stephen Colbert, for this enlightening clip on our new Acting Attorney General's former occupation as Toilet Master Inventor for the Masculine. And here we thought Mr. Whitaker was some talent-less hack sucking up to Trump.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/stephen-colbert-roasts-trump-ag-matt-whitakers-masculine-toilet-for-the-well-endowed?ref=home

11 Killed in Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre

Today I grieve with people around the world, mourning the tragic loss of lives in a senseless act of murder. As with the rise with other tragic gun-related horrors, I am unwilling to stay silent about the rise in hate crimes. This is not a norm which I want silenced. We all need to experience the sorrowful cost of such despicable acts on targeted groups.

These innocent people who lost their lives were engaged in worship, slaughtered by a hate-filled man incited by fear. I do not care to embolden those who espouse such hate-filled rhetoric but to remember those people lovingly came to the synagogue .Having a loved one murdered so viciously will haunt them and their community forever. 

 May their souls rest in peace. To their family members I share my condolences. Know they will not be forgotten.

WELCOME TO THE MUSEUM OF NATIONALISTS

Adolph Hitler (Fuhrer) needs no introduction as he is well known for his obsessive desire for unquenchable power, killing millions of people, and a hilarious mustache. He was a State-sanctioned serial killer of countless innocents. Hands down he is portrayed as the most evil man of the 20th century. Too bad his followers never saw themselves as complicit. Facial hair lost a movement when he killed himself.
"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed." -Adolf Hitler

Benito Mussolini (Il Duce) was Adolf Hitler's Italian counterpart. Don't be fooled by his Rudy Giuliani countenance: his fashion-less black-shirted discontented Italian follower/thugs struck terror in anyone who opposed him. His nationalistic fervor was not shared by his constituency. He ended up being publicly hung upside down in a village square for all to beat him. "We do not argue with anyone who opposes us, we destroy them."-Benito Mussolini

Muanmmar al-Gaddafi acknowledged, among other assorted terrorist activities, to be behind the bombing of the Pam Am flight in Lockerbie, Scotland killing 240 people. Exporting terrorism was his forte. Points for being a feminist and anti-plutocracy are automatically deducted when the karmic debt becomes due.
"Those who do not love me do not deserve to live." -Muammar al-Gaddafi 

Slobodan Milosevic (the Butcher of the Balkans), the  former President of Serbia, earned the distinction of being charged by an International Tribunal for his genocide in Bosnia. He supposedly died of a heart attack while incarcerated in prison. The surprise was that he had a heart .
"The truth can not be drowned by any flood of false indictments." -Slobodan Milosevic invoking 'fake news'

Saddam Hussein (Evildoer) was voted by his Iraqi high school as most likely to become a homicidal dictator and gas Kurdish rebels. When the US finally caught up with him in 2005, he was cowering in a bunker eating Hershey bars. So much for good insulin control and faux bravado.
"Remember the valiant Iraqi peasant and how he shot down an American Apache with an old weapon." -Saddam Hussein

Donald Trump (El Gilopollas) took a page from history by enlisting Russia to help him win a national election. A self-proclaimed Nationalist, he extorts the fears of his xenophobic, misogynistic, and racist base with the sole purpose of enriching his coffers and grabbing pussy. Likes: lying, grifting, porn stars, unending flattery, raping the environment, and anything white & wealthy. Dislikes: Democrats, paying taxes, spelling correctly, and thinking.
"Why are we having all these people from s--thole countries come here?”

Thank you, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford

Dear Dr. Blasey Ford,

         On behalf of all women who have endured sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, sexual degradation, and sexual victimization, we applaud your courage to testify against your abuser. It may have been decades ago, but as you have so truthfully revealed, sexual violation in any form encodes memories that cannot be easily erased or dismissed. Your powerful testimony, while standing up to an all male Senate committee, proves we may be outnumbered but we will not be silenced. By confronting your politically entitled abuser, you have empowered women who have endured sexual exploitation to bravely come forward and name their predators. Thank you for your fearlessness in the face of adversity. You are an inspiration. 

WHY WOMEN DON'T TELL (MOSTLY MEN) ABOUT HAVING BEEN SEXUALLY VIOLATED

To be a girl or woman is to quickly learn that no matter how one behaves or dresses, sooner or later you will be the recipient of unwanted sexual behavior in the form of derogatory innuendo, demeaning catcalls, blatant harassment, duress, coercion, threats, and/or outright assault. As women, we have been given strong messages from a primarily white, male, straight culture that women usually make up these stories or were asking for it. In institutions and court systems, we see time after time that sexual behavior goes frequently unpunished or with a slap on the hand (a la the Stanford Swimmer). No wonder women don't tell men these stories of violation, preferring to reveal their secrets to their closest women confidantes. They may not tell their family, their husbands, or law enforcement, but they will tell another woman. Why? Because we have heard these stories from other women all of our lives.

So why don't women tell or report these incidents? Here is the list I've compiled from women I've known who've experienced varying degrees of unwanted sexual behavior from men:
1. No one will believe me-it's his word against mine.
2. It happened so long ago, why dredge this up? It will only make me upset. I got over this long ago.
3. I don't want to loose my job, social standing, or reputation.
4. If my family found out (about the incest) they would blame me, fracture my family, or cause my
    family member to face legal consequences.
5. The man who assaulted me is powerful and has threatened me or bribed me to keep silent.
6. I will be blamed for enticing the unwanted behavior.
7. I am ashamed that this happened.
8. I am to blame or feel I contributed to my victimization.
9. There is no evidence that the sexual incident happened.
10. I should have known better.
11. My family and friends will think I deserved what happened.
12. I am afraid to face the perpetrator.
13. It was all a part of 'normal' male behavior. Boys will be boys.
14. If I don't keep it a secret, bad things could happen.
15. I wouldn't have gotten ahead if I hadn't succumbed to his advances.
16. I will end up being the one punished and/or embarrassed because of what happened.
17. No one will get hurt as long as I keep it a secret.
18. It was no big deal. It wasn't that bad. I got over this long ago.
19. If I tell I will be scrutinized, belittled, and my credibility will be impeached.
20. I will be smeared as a liar.
21. I will be the target of jokes, memes, and other demeaning insults.
22. My sexual history will be used to further 'confirm' that I deserved what I got.
23. I will be seen as trying to extort the 'good' man who committed the offense.
24. So much time has gone by that I will be accused of making this up.
25. I could jeopardize my personal and professional standing by coming forward.


The "me, too" movement has awakened our society to the extent of women's experiences with unwanted sexual behavior. However, we have a long way to go before the message is heard that no woman deserves to be sexually violated.

This blog is dedicated to Anita Hill, who bravely testified about the sexual harassment she endured while working for Clarence Thomas (now Justice of the Supreme Court), at the EEOC and the Department of Education.

"According to Hill, Thomas asked her out socially many times during her two years of employment as his assistant,and, after she declined his requests, he used work situations to discuss sexual subjects."He spoke about ... such matters as women having sex with animals and films showing group sex or rape scenes," she said, adding that on several occasions Thomas graphically described "his own sexual prowess" and the details of his anatomy. Hill also recounted an instance in which Thomas examined a can of Coke on his desk and asked, "Who has put pubic hair on my Coke?" -Wikipedia

I WROTE THE OP-ED NY TIMES 'STEADY RESISTANCE' PIECE

No, I really didn't but wish I had. It was brilliant. The anonymous 
writer succinctly captured what the majority of us have been 
thinking since Trump assumed office. How heartening it is to know
there is an inside revolt. At least there are some decent people left who know sabotage is the best defense against a corrupt dictatorship.

The joke is on the joker president who behaves like a imperious autocrat stoned on narcissism pills. His vicious and inhumane administration's policies have come back to bite him in his ass. 
Now he doesn't know whom to trust. His karma has come home to roost. He will forever eye anyone in his inner circle with suspicion. 
Even the Secret Service will not be able to protect him from his self-absorption, greed, and despot ways. What a fitting term of office for one rivaling Buchanan and Harding as the worst American president. 

I encourage everyone to write Mr. Trump and voice their approval of Bob Woodward's book and the NY Times op-ed. We still live in a democracy where the First Amendment is alive and well.

Another Thought On the Fourth of July

From The Daily Word:
"I celebrate my freedom as a gift.

Rather than stressing about decisions
I need to make, I celebrate instead 
my freedom to choose. I see my choices
as blessings, each one leading to a 
different possible outcome.
I learn from my actions as well as my
choices. Failures are learning 
opportunities. Experience combined 
with inner guidance helps me choose 
wisely. Throughout my life I learn from 
the past as I envision the future, mindful 
of this moment in time.
Because I have been given the gift of free 
will, I always have the ability to see from
new and different perspectives if I choose.
I celebrate my freedom through my 
thoughtful and purposeful actions, making
a positive difference in my life and in 
the lives of others."

SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN

This is the message, hidden or not, FLOTUS just gave to thousands of children incarcerated who are separated from their mothers:

This is why we care, Melania:

"In the first few days after separation, the children are expected to protest by crying and acting out in ways that 

reflect a desperate effort to secure the return of their
parents. Within a few weeks, they appear to lapse into 
despair, seemingly without hope for a returning parent. 
They show little energy or motivation to play and explore.

After less than a month or so, Bowlby observed that the children “seem detached,” Van IJzendoorn said. If the parents return, the children seem aloof and avoid the parents’ efforts to comfort and cuddle.

“It might take some months of careful, sensitive interactions to repair the damage done to the attachment relationship of the child,” Van IJzendoorn said. “The parents have failed the child, and he or she has lost trust in his or her attachment figures, and the wider social world seems hostile. … Their basic trust has been damaged.” 

-the LA TIMES

THE INHUMANE POLICY OF SEPARATING IMMIGRANT CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS

"WASHINGTON ― Attorney General Jeff Sessions seems

to think Jesus would love his policy of separating immigrant

families at the border.

Christian leaders say otherwise.

“While protecting our borders is important, we can and must do

better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to

ensure that safety,” Cardinal Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, president

of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement.”

Separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is

immoral.”- cnn news

Mr.Trump can blame the Democrats and Mr. Sessions can justify his deplorable
detainment by quoting the Bible but separating immigrant children from their 
families is just plain immoral. The stories of bereft toddlers crying inconsolably 
for their mothers, children horribly frightened with separation anxiety,

and babies being taken from their mothers while nursing, are

institutional child abuse. Below is the same reaction from

The American Academy of Pediatrics:

"In a newly released policy statement, the Academy urges that

immigrant and refugee children be treated with dignity and

respect, with care that supports their health and well-being.

Amid turmoil caused by new federal executive orders targeting

immigrants and refugees and calling for vast expansions to the 

detention of immigrants, the American Academy of Pediatrics has 

called for the U.S. government to protect vulnerable children who

are fleeing violence and poverty from being traumatized.

Immigrant children seeking safe haven in the United States should

never be placed in detention facilities, regardless of whether they 

arrive alone or are accompanied by an adult, according to a new

policy statement published by the American Academy of 

Pediatrics (AAP). Children should never be separated from their

families, according to the statement.

The policy statement recommends that immigrant children be treated 

with dignity and respect, and urges that they not be exposed to 

conditions that may further harm or traumatize them. The statement,

"Detention of Immigrant Children," to be published in the April 2017

issue of Pediatrics (online March 13) reports that the Department of 

Homeland Security facilities for temporary housing of immigrants do 

not meet basic standards regarding the care of children in residential 

settings.

"Many of the immigrant children arriving to this country from our 

southern border are victims of unspeakable violence, persecution,

and abject poverty," said Fernando Stein, MD, FAAP, president of

 the AAP. 

"From the moment they are placed in U.S. custody, they deserve

a warm, safe and nurturing environment. They should receive

health care that meets basic standards."

The AAP policy statement, "Detention of Immigrant Children," is

being published at a time of increased fear, anxiety, and uncertainty

among immigrant families. The AAP opposes the recent call for major 

expansions in family detention, among other actions, that have been

included in Executive Orders signed by President Trump. 

"We are hearing reports about children who have been detained, even

for a short time, who are showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress

disorder, anxiety, depression and behavioral problems," said Marsha 

Griffin, MD, FAAP, co-author of the policy statement and co-chair of the 

AAP Immigrant Health Special Interest Group. "There is no evidence 

that spending any time in detention is safe for children. Parents, too, 

may be traumatized by the isolating conditions, making it difficult for 

them to respond to their children's needs." 

-The American Academy of Pediatrics

I urge everyone to join me by emailing the President to protest this

incredibly inhumane and abusive treatment of immigrant children. 

Here is the URL: ://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/