Congress: "Trash Dust" and Do Something Useful

I Hate Dusting!

Perhaps “hate” is not the best word.  How about “abhor,” “despise,” or just “dusting, like, really, really sucks.”

JLens- Big Brother Comes to D.C., Md. & Eastern U.S.

It's the "Big Brother" Pentagon project you haven't heard that much about except for short articles in the Baltimore Sun & The Boston Globe.This is a joint project from defense contractor Raytheon (hello, Portsmouth, RI, although this is worked on in Mass, et al and the Pentagon.

While we've been distracted with surveillance problems with the FBI, CIA, and Congress, this very expensive and ongoing project has been ignored by most of the mainstream press. JLENS is the "Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System" (go ahead, I dare you to say that quickly five times). In plain English this is a highly sophisticated radar system consisting of two blimp-like devices (each about as large as a football field) which are tethered to a mooring and a processing center. They can track vehicles (include any kind of boat or airplane) above/below water) along most of the eastern U.S. (N.C. to Can. & W. Va. to R.I.) One devices "sees" and the other translates in real time. They remain airborne for about one month before they need to be hauled down and refilled with helium. These aerostats (aka "blimps") float no higher than 10,000- 15,000 feet- migrating birds fly at this height.

Originally this was to be a much larger project but sequestration and tough times seem to have slowed things down. Right now the Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds (15 min. from where I live) is getting ready to test this system to see if they wish to purchase it outright from Raytheon. I would know Aberdeen was nearby even if I did not know the distance involved because I hear the booms and feel the vibrations frequently.

This is all part of a missile defense system first proposed in 1983 by Pres. Ronald Reagaon and dubbed "Star Wars." It died in 1984 when the "Cold War" ended. Its current phase it's being touted as providing protection to Wash., D.C. I'm approximating two billion dollars has already been spent by us for development of this project, but there are conflicting numbers due to its secretive nature & current budget boondoggle. It's to begin a three year evaluation here this Spring.  The next step is actual standardized use.

What does all this blah-blah mean? Raytheon touts it as cost-efficient and effective. The military also loves it for the same reasons. Heads-up criticism or shortcomings are mighty hard to find, but this may be due to the very quiet publicity this project has received. Wildlife, privacy and safety concerns all come to mind, not to mention costs. The project at Aberdeen has been budgeted, but will it hold?

House Speaker Pelosi Coming to Middletown

Nancy Pelosi & Rep. Patrick Kennedy will be here this Sat., July 11, in the afternoon. Check out that link for details & an invite. Locals (otherwise known as the "usual suspects") are hoping to convince her to fund some $ for our corporate park & for improvements to the Wave. Ave. pumping station.

She'll be visiting there & stopping at the new Child & Family Services building for a visit. There is a public reception at the Atlantic Beach Club, but with a limited capacity thanks to the newest fire safety laws regarding outside venues. Of course the fact that it actually SITS on the beach which has LOTS of H2O is meaningless & cost towns & cities mucho dinero & closed businesses, but I digress. Thank you, General Assembly.

Later she is attending a private fundraiser in Jamestown- likely for the Dem. House Legislative fundraising arm. No, no invite for me. Just as well as they'd likely expect me to give them big $. And I'd need a new dress- I never said that I wasn't shallow.

Actually, if the truth be known, they are coming to surprise Keith Stokes of the Newport Chamber of Commerce & myself on our birthdays. I will be 39- don't know about him. Definitely older, I think. More later. I have a camera now & know how to use it (kinda, sorta) so I'll try & get some visual stuff up!

Rep. Kennedy- Turns Flaws into Positive Action

Thanks to www.rifuture.com for pointing me to this article in the Wash. Post. What I like best about our Rep.- he's flawed (ain't we all), realizes this, & publicly admits it. And he does not claim to socially acceptable flaws like having cancer, being a reformed alcoholic, or spousal cheating. We can accept those- been there, done that or know someone close who has.

He comes right out & says that he suffers with mental health problems and addictions. And he does this every day. None of this- take a magic pill & all gone! If you don't think that all of this takes courage, ain't you blessed?

And even with all these major problems, none of them his fault, he flourishes. He gives hope to the hopeless. Is he perfect? Nope. And I like that. He's still in there slugging. And he takes the punches while giving them.

He didn't have to do this. Publicly admitting to serious mental illness or addiction is no fun. We expect perfection. Or at least faults that we all can identify with or have. But bi-polar? Drugs? Alcohol? Back burner, please. When was the last time you saw our local rag write about this? And not only does he admit to having faults, he fights for others having the same & often unable to fight for themselves.

What a guy. In my book- a modern day hero. These problems in my family? Yup. Up close and personal. Everytime he admits to his struggles, he gives hope to someone who believes that they are all alone and without any outlet for their illness. And he never had to do this. You just can't give this guy enough credit for what he's accomplished in my book. I heart Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

Specter Switches Political Parties

Marked as one of the last northeast Republicans, Arlen decided to ditch a difficult oncoming Primary in Pa. & switch from being a Republican to a Democrat. Too bad our local Chafee never did the same in '06.

Special Elections for US Senators

From Markos at the Daily Kos comes this story about a proposed Constitutional amendment from Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. Feingold says:

"The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it painfully clear that such appointments are an anachronism that must end. In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators. They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people. I plan to introduce a constitutional amendment this week to require special elections when a Senate seat is vacant, as the Constitution mandates for the House, and as my own state of Wisconsin already requires by statute. As the Chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee, I will hold a hearing on this important topic soon."

As Feingold notes, the Constitution was amended in 1913 to allow direct election of US senators. Before then, senators were elected by state legislatures (the Founders thought of the Senate as representing the states, rather than the people), so it was reasonable for mid-term vacancies to be filled by state governors. Once the decision was made to directly elect senators, it would have been equally reasonable to have vacancies filled by special elections, but the men who drafted the Seventeenth Amendment decided to let the governors keep their appointment power.

I happen to think this is a good idea, and so have the people of thirteen of the states who have already amended their state constitutions to allow for special elections for senatorial vacancies. I'll be contacting Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and asking them to support Feingold, and if you think this is a good idea, you'll want to do the same.

Former Sen. Pell Dies

From Projo & http://www.rifuture.org/. Former Senator Pell died today just after the start of the New Year." He left the Senate in 1996 when his Parkinson's disease began making life difficult. Sen. Jack Reed was then elected.

Senator Pell was an early Hillary support while his wife supported Obama. What an interesting life! He is survived by his wife, Nuala; his son, Christopher, of Newport; a daughter, Dallas Pell, of New York City; five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. His son, Herbert Pell, died in 1999 and his daughter, Julia Pell, died in 2006.

While his name will live on here as Newport's Pell Bridge, it's his federal Pell Grants that will be long remembered and continues to this day. It paid for my husband's texts. My husband was lucky in that he is one of the many who got to thank him for this in person.

I still recall seeing him run along Bellevue Ave. & other local streets wearing his well-worn corduroys & a sports coat before Parkinsons' left him unable to do so. Sometimes he'd have on short (not joggers) & usually regular leather shoes (sometimes sneakers). I remember hearing his grandson tell the story of how much he admired his grandfather & one day decided to jog with him. He then came home & threw up!

The good Senator will be missed here. Condolences go out to his wife & family. They were present for his death.

Nancy Pelosi's visit to Newport

It was certainly a privilege to attend the "Women in Leadership" reception at Belcourt Castle on the afternoon of Saturday, July 28, to hear Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The diverse gathering enjoyed her comments, as well as those of Congressman Patrick Kennedy. To say the least, the visiting dignitaries were warmly received (no pun intended, regardless of the late July heat and humidity!). As the various local and state political office-holders were introduced, it struck me that the smallest state in the Union has quite a few women in power. Here's hoping the number increases.

Sandra J. Flowers

Mastectomy Bill in Congress

*Sandra Flowers sent me this e-mail. I thought it was most appropriate to publish as an article, esp. after seeing the movie, "Sicko." I wonder what the policy would be for men losing a part of their body (say, testes)? I'm surprised they have not yet started to do "drive-by" outpatient medicne. You could just remain in your car.


"Hello, everyone!
I just received the following message from a dear friend and I feel that it must be passed on to you folks who know that speaking up for justice is not only our right, but our duty. I have already signed the petition on-line. Please feel free to forward this to all your friends in your address books. " - Sandra

Subject: Please read....Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:39:34 -0400 This will take just a minute. Please pass it on! (written by a surgeon)

I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the Doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hearthat they would, but their hands were tied by the insurance companies. So there I sat with my patient giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank you' they muttered.
A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

Mastectomy Bill in Congress

It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important .. please take the time and do it really quick! Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill - Important legislation for all women. Please send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times.
If you're receiving this, it's because I think you will take the 30 seconds to go to vote on this issue and send it on to others you know who will do the same. There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.
Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on. PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

This takes about 2 seconds. PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your friends and family, and on behalf of all women, THANKS