Three years ago I thought I was going to lose my best friend, then 38 years old, to breast cancer. With no history of cancer in her family, she happened to find a lump and by then it was stage 3 cancer, into her lymph nodes. She had never had a mammogram, and why should she have? As a rule, insurance companies only pay for routine mammograms after age 40. It is estimated that about 6% of women under 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. That doesn't seem like much, does it? No, until you realize that in 2005 (the CDC's most current stats), 186,486 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed. That brings the total number of women under 40 to over 11,000. Eleven thousand women who won't detect their breast cancer unless they are able to feel a lump themselves because they are too young for a routine mammogram. That's a lot of women- wives, mothers, sisters, daughters...Annual mammograms for women starting at 40 have reduced the death rate from cancer by 15%.

But under Obama's health care plan not only will mammograms not be recommended for women under 40, they won't be recommended for women IN their 40's.

Women in their 40s should stop routinely having annual mammograms and older women should cut back to one scheduled exam every other year, an influential federal task force has concluded, challenging the use of one of the most common medical tests

Yes, it seems an independent government panel has found that the risks of mammograms are greater than the benefits.

The American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology and other experts are against this change in recommendation.
With health care reform legislation waiting congressional approval, this could change what insurance companies cover in terms of screening.

Read it for yourself HERE.

P.S. My friend went through treatment and so far has been cancer-free since 2007.

You be the judge.

Read it here.

I just got home from the Pitbull concert. Pitbull as in Armando Christian Pérez, the graduate of Coral Springs High School; Pitbull as in the hip hop (now crossover) singer; Pitbull as in Mr. 305. Not as in George Moneo, though I am sure wherever George goes, fans scream for him as well.

Pitbull is Cuban-American and proud of it. His music is not for everyone. However, I went to the concert with 5 of my friends, all over 35, all but one had ever even heard of his songs until last week, and they were all waving their hands in the air and moving to the music. In a crowd of mostly under 21's and a handful of old fogies like me, I am sure it was a sight to see. A lot of his songs are laced with expletives but that aside, the concert was awesome. I took possibly the worst photos of my life because the stage was practically black the whole time and the man did not stop moving, and no settings on the camera would adjust for it, but I did get some video. A major bummer to not have photos to scrapbook. But that's ok, because just seeing him was a thrill.

Here is a little clip of the intro to "Anthem" which he sings in Spanish and contains part of the oldie "¿Mami qué será lo que quiere el negro?"

Or so he would like to think, shown here dancing with Mexican superstar Thalia (Tommy Mottola's wife). Note that Michelle is not so impressed. Note also that the President has only one set of moves, suitable for all occasions, even latino parties.

Our very own Alberto de la Cruz has another article featured on Pajamas Media- this one about the meglomaniacal Mel Zelaya and his zany theories.  Read his great piece HERE.

A man who helped fidel castro inflict pain, suffering and misery on the Cuban people, Juan Almeida Bosque, died on Friday.  Not in front of a firing squad, not begging for his life, but of a quick heart attack at the age of 82.  One of fidel's right hand men, he earned the title of ''Comandante de la Revolucion;" only Ramiro Valdes and Guillermo Garcia are left with this "distinction."

I'm sure all your Cuban flags are at half staff today.  NOT! 

h/t Amy aka Kikita

It is ironic that I am remembering Dorothy Mauro, one of 2,996 victims of 9/11,  who was killed in the World Trade Center attacks, because she has the same birthday as one of my daughters.  Dorothy, a New York Mets fan, is survived by her twin sister, yet is with the angels and her mother and another sister now. How painful is it to lose someone we love, but to lose a twin must be akin to losing a limb, like part of you feels like it's still there when it's really missing.  Reading her sister Margaret's loving and frequent posts to Dorothy brought tears to my eyes as I thought about what life would be like without my own sister- although we fight, I still love her and would be heart-broken without her, just like Margaret is after having lost her sister after 55 years with her.  "Dot" was working at Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. when her life was snuffed out by evil, but let us remember her and the others on the anniversary of this tragic day. And replace the memories of that day with happy ones spent with Dot.  Dot, we will never forget you.

Each year on this day I assign my students a special task for homework.  I tell them to 1) go home and tell their parents they love them, if they don't already do so and 2) perform a Random Act of Kindness for someone they don't know at school or for someone in their family- something out of the norm, and they can't tell the person why they are doing it.  "What does this have to do with 9/11?" they ask.  My response for the past 7 years is the same- on a day when we think only of horrible adjectives to describe the events that took place in 2001, let us make someone have a happy, grateful thought to replace some of the bad ones.  It breaks my heart to think of a child who went to school that morning and returned home parentless as is the case with the 5 children (and one on the way) of Tim Soulas who workedas managing director of foreign currency for Cantor Fitzgerald, with whom I went to elementary and high school.  His wife, Katy Soulas, sued Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein for millions and won (in principal) for wrongful death, in an attempt to bring justice to the victims of this horrific day.  Katy, who graduated with my husband, is a  brave mom of six who continues to inspire people with her story. She holds on to her husband's melted driver's license, retreived from the rubble.

 

 

 Van Jones, the czar of greenness has just been elevated to a higher position on my list of people who are beneath contempt.

We've read about what he did to Glenn Beck when Glenn revealed information he had about his communist leanings.

We've read about his theory on white kids shooting up schools and heard him call President Bush a crackhead.

But today Cigar Mike told me about a piece of Van Jones' history that is so contemptable that I think I felt my blood boil: Van Jones is a member of the Mumia Abu Jamal Fan Club.

Who is Mumia Abu Jamal? Well here in Philly he is known as the perpetrator of one of the most senseless crimes against a police officer ever committed.  Officer Danny Faulkner was shot in the the back of the head by Wesley Cook, aka Mumia Abu Jamal, Wesley Cook, aka Mumia Abu Jamal, a Marxist and Black Panther Party member and former radio commentator who was convicted of killing Officer Daniel Faulkner.

He has been on death row since 1982 after eyewtinesses and ballistic evidence helped convict the piece of caca.  Since then he has become a cause celebre with some of Hollywood's brightest elite coming to his defense and organizing rallies in his support, like Ed Asner, Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover, among others.

Van Jones is one of these dimwits to support this murderer and a new trial for Philly's own fidel castro worshipper.  Mike found this article from 1999 which talks about Van Jones having denied having orgaznied a 150 person protest march with the purpose of upstaging a meeting between police and local youths.  Their goal was to get the Justice Department to re-open the corruption case against the Philadelphia police department and to get atrrested in the process.  He had claimed the timing was coincidental.  Shah!!

Read more HERE.

It appears that the attempted vilification of Glenn Beck orchestrated by colorofchange.org is starting to backfire.  Websites in Glenn's defense as well as internet groups are cropping up and there are calls to let advertisers know they support Glenn Beck.

I remind you, that it is not necessarily because people believe Obama is a racist, it is because people want to defend Beck's right to state his opinion, as many of his detractors have done, and quite loudly, in the past four years and longer.  Why shouldn't Glenn be afforded the same pass that the media gave the left? (Remember when rapper Kanye West announced on the televised Katrina relief show that "George Bush doesn't care about black people? and that he gave "troops permission to go down and shoot us?" Colors of Change issued a t-shirt that said "Kayne Was Right." No boycott of his music.) 

And before anyone starts saying I'm a racist, do not jump to conclusions.  I did not agree with what Kanye West said about Bush or the platform he chose to say it, but I respected his right to voice his opinion, and anyone else who didn't like Bush.  That's what makes America great.  And advertisers have the right to boycott his show, and consumers have the right to boycott the advertisers.

I've been trying to gather this information since this morning and sift through the hype and the non-hype and so far this is what I have come up with as far as which companies support the censure of free speech:

Some of the CONFIRMED boycotting advertisers are:

• Geicko (who, it has been reported, has lost 12,500 customers together with Sargento Cheese as a result of their boycott)
• Sargento Cheese
• CVS
• Progressive Insurance
• Men's Wearhouse
• Lawyers.com
• Radio Shack
• Healthy Choice
• Travelocity

Others who have denied heeding Color of Change's call and have stated that they do not advertise during talk shows include: 

• WalMart
• Clorox
• Best Buy
• Proctor and Gamble

There is a website up now in Glenn's defense which has up-to-date information about the boycott.  You can sign their wall to let Glenn know you support him.

Below is the letter that Colorofchange.org asked their members to send to the advertisers.

To President/CEO & Board:

I want to alert you to the fact that Glenn Beck--whose show you sponsor on FOX--is using his platform to make outlandish accusations about the President and to advance baseless theories that prey on race-based fears.

He is claiming that President Obama is a "racist," that he has a "deep-seated hatred for white people," and that he is attempting to use our government to deliver "Obama-brand reparations." The claims are ludicrous, and the rhetoric is racially divisive and pollutes our public discourse.

I presume your company does not want to enable such rhetoric, nor have your products or services associated with the kind of views and tactics espoused by Beck. I urge you to immediately cease all advertising on the Glenn Beck Program on the FOX News Channel.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

If you want to contact any of the advertisers, be it the ones who are confirmed to have pulled ads and tell them you would like them to reconsider or perhaps lose your business, or the ones who have not pulled their ads to thank them and encourage them to support free speech, the best place to do it is at this website which lists the companies and contact info.   Alberto de la Cruz commented a little while ago that if Fox and Glenn Beck have to pay for what they did, then "we in turn can make the advertisers who Color of Change scared into dropping their advertising on Beck's show pay, too. 

So, if the spirit moves you, go for it.

H/T My sister

Of all the talk radio guys I can hear in Philly (Rush, Sean, Glenn, Savage) I love Glenn the best.  He's dead-on for just about everything, he's funny as hell, and he doesn't take himself too seriously.  He's flawed and he admits it but he is never boring and that's why I listen to him. 

He also has a tv show on FOX, having switched over from CNN (can't figure out why they would have wanted him there in the first place) and because of him exercising what liberals have been doing vociferously for the past 8 years, his freedom of speech, his show has lost 33 advertisers as of today.

His "faux-pas?"  He called Obama a racist.  (Gasp!)  Colorofchange.org orchestrated this boycott among his advertisers.  Glenn actually wasn't even on his tv show, but another FOX show about 3 weeks ago, when he  said Obama had "a deep-seated hatred for white people."

Colorofchange.org got to work right away, targeting Glenn and, according to its director, James Rucker, making him a "liability" to FOX.  This punishes Glenn for expressing his opinion, to which he is entitled, and which is shared by more than a few people in this country.

From their website:

"Fox's Glenn Beck recently said President Obama is "a racist" and has a "deep-seated hatred for white people." Beck is on a campaign to convince the American public that President Obama's agenda is about serving the needs of Black communities at White people's expense. It's repulsive, divisive and shouldn't be on the air."

Referring to Glenn, Rucker said:

"They have a toxic asset," Rucker said. "They can either clean it up or get rid of it."

Glenn? Toxic?  Wow, Rucker better never listen to Michael Savage, then.

Out of sixty companies they contacted, 33 pulled their ads.  I'd like to get the names of all of them and request that they reconsider their decision or ask them to stick by his show, just on the principle of free speech.  I also would like to ask them if they pulled their ads everytime someone called President Bush an idiot, a baby-killer, etc.  They may have believed those words to be true just like Glenn does, right?  So what's the dif?

Here is the link to the story.

P.S. Do any of you Cubans know how to say "Give me a break" in the Cuban vernacular?

Fidel Castro appears to be making a recovery!  Yes!  CNN believes it so it MUST be true.

CNN reports that a photo of castro in Juventud Rebelde shows a "more healthy-looking" coma-ndante at his meeting with Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa on Friday.

"The photo shows a well-groomed Castro wearing a white short-sleeve shirt and standing face to face with Correa."

Well I don't know about you, but this photo is all I need to be reassured that fifo is on the mend.  Plus, Juventud Rebelde ran the photo, so I mean, what else do I need?

You can see the great big photo of fifo and Correa discussing  international events, exchanging ideas about historical and cultural topics, who the best Photoshop experts in Cuba are and what is fifo's favorite brand of colostomy bag at the JR website that we don't link to.

I came across this slide show entitled "La Vida Diaria en Cuba" on AOL tonight that accompanied an article about last month's 56th anniversary of el Dia de la Rebeldía Nacional in Cuba and the lousy economy and broken promises of today and whether life for Cubans has changed.  It seems that with all the misery on the island that the Cubans endure, all the civial rights violations, the poverty, the never-ending crisis, the solution remains:  put up or shut up, that is, leave or deal with it.  

For the past fifty years the revolution has boasted about its success in sports, health and education but these days it doesn't have the tools to to sustain any of them- they have champions but no stopwatches, doctors but no medicine, and teacher but no books. Yep.  That's success for you.

You can read the article here and check out the slide show on the same page. (I'd link to it but I can't seem to link directly to it, just to the article.) I'm impressed that it's not the usual assortment of happy, go-lucky Cuban people photos and captions full of spin. 

The article is in Spanish.

Wonder if Mr. Obama has been informed of this ongoing situation as he gets all chummy with raulito?

The Washington Post today featured an article by retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and counterintelligence expert, Chris Simmons, about the Sister City Program that Cuban spies are using to go beyond the 25 mile travel limit in the US to target candidates for espionage.  The program was brought about by President Eisenhower in order to foster understanding among people of other countries and cultures.  However, the Cuban DI has been using it to worm its way into US cities to recruit.

One of the cities is my hometown of Philly.  The other cities are Tahoma, Mobile, Pittsburgh, Richmond, (CA), Oakland, and Tacoma.

Read Chris's piece here.

Last year I put together this video comparing Cuba de ayer con Cuba de hoy for the blog.  I just watched again it today and thought I would share it with those of you who may not have seen it when I first posted it.   The comments section has an interesting exchange between some pro-Castro viewers and well, those with a brain.

Our very own perfervid master of reporting, Alberto de la Cruz, was asked by Pajamas Media to opine on the MSM's (non) treatment of the alleged referendum fraud planned by Zelaya in Honduras.   It appears today and I hope you will all give it a read- it's fantastic!

Click HERE to read "MSM Silent on Discovery of Planned Honduras Vote Fraud."

Bravo Alberto!

Does anyone else find this not offensive to Latinos?  I realize that not being Hispanic I  may be missing something here so I thought I'd ask you all.

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) today responded to Sonia Sotomayor's hypothetical question about what he would do if she attacked him by answering "You'll have a lot of 'splainin' to do." This phrase of course was made popular by Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo in "I Love Lucy."  This got some laughs but some think his inflection and choice of words may have been inappropriate since he was speaking to the potential first Latina Supreme Court Justice (who by the way is Puerto Rican, not Cuban). 

I have used this expression, accent and all, and have heard many people use it, to Latinos and to Anglos. I've never seen anyone get their feathers ruffled by it, but after all, Coburn is a Republican so I'm sure he will be put under the microscope as a closet racist.  

 There's some more on it HERE.

Developing

Alaskan Governor and 2008 Republican Vice-Presidental Candidate, Sarah Palin, has resigned, effective the end of this month.  She did not give a specific reason for her resignation but did say that she would better serve the people outside of government.  Many are speculating that she wants to concentrate on a 2012 presidental bid and others are speculating that her resignation has something to do with ethics inquiries against her and/or her staff.  Lt. Governor Sean Parnell will take over for her when she leaves office.

Fox News reports:

"She wants to concentrate on doing the things for Alaska and the country" that she is passionate about and can not do as governor with the limitation and constant opposition she deals with within the state."

I don't know if I buy the idea of her quitting in order to focus on a presidental run. I don't think I'm on board with the ethics complaint scare, either.  I never pegged her for a quitter so my guess is that there is something really major behind her decision, but we'll have to wait to find out in the coming days, if that information is revealed.

At any rate, I wish Governor Palin well.  She's classy, she's a lady and she withstood a lot of heat during the campaign that would have caused a lesser woman to crumble.  I'm sure whatever her next step is, she'll come out on top.

Update (Val): Lots of pundits chiming in that her decision to resign before her term is over has basically ended her political career. And that may be so. But perhaps her resignation is predicated upon the fact that she has a great deal of respect for the office she holds, and believed it better to relinquish same than have her constituents ill-served.

I may be wrong, of course, and this decision may be based on less than noble issues. But one thing is for sure: Andrew Sullivan is frantically scavenging heaven and earth for Viagra.

"Shocking News!" Update: Rick Sanchez, fellow American of Cuban descent, es una lengua'e trapo. Rick, dude, you're embarrassing the rest of us.

Well, school is out here in PA as of a few days ago and I had an awesome year.  I taught some really great students this year in all levels.

But the reason I am reflecting is because at some point in each level, I get the chance to teach at least a little about Cuba.   In my level 4 class, which is an honors course, I have students who are Ivy League college-bound, so they are very apt to share their opinions and engage in debate, in Spanish.  This was the first year that I had so many questions about the situation in Cuba. Usually, kids don't care.  

It's hard for me not to get on my soapbox but I have to restrain myself because one year a parent emailed me that I was "indoctrinating" her child by discussing anti-communism in my class.  I recall responding that if by anti-communism indoctrination I was telling the students about how little Cubans are "given" to eat and describing the lack of freedoms Cubans have due to the government, then I was, indeed, guilty.  I offered for her to have her son excuse himself from any further discussion that he thought was indoctrination.  

But I digress.  I tried not to put my emotions into what I told them about Cuba and its suffering.  I tried not to color their decision about whether Castro has been "good" (gag) for the people or not. I just gave them the facts, including the literacy rate (and also informed them that they could only read what was not forbidden).  I explained the difference between an exile and an immigrant and how Cubans were and are perceived here in the states.  I even taught them a few Cuban words like San Guibin and picó. I did what I could within the confines of the curriculum.  

And you know what?  In spite of me just sticking to just statistics and facts I could back up and not being subjective, these kids got it.  They nodded in agreement and expressed shock at certain things. Nobody, like last year, chimed in that in the US we, too, have been opressed and "denied rights like privacy thanks to the Patriot Act." It was genuine disbelief that people could be so oppressed just 90 miles away.  I showed them photos from therealcuba.com and I showed them Dr. Biscet's photo. I explained to them why he was considered a dangerous man.  And I described his jail cell. Mouths dropped open.  The freshmen in one class peppered me with questions about Dr. Biscet.   I told them I did not have all the answers.   One of my freshmen asked me "When will Cubans be free?"  "Soon, I hope." I told her.  "But when?" her friend asked.  "I don't know exactly," was all I could say.

So, in terms of my contribution to "indoctrinating" 123 teenagers this year about the evils of Castro, Inc, I guess some pinkos might say that I did exactly what I was saying that Castro does to his pioneers.  But as I see it, I gave my students something to think about, a reality check that not far from Florida, there is an entire population that cannot get internet in their houses, let alone their IPhones, that cannot afford a basic cell phone, that don't have a closet full of Abercrombie and Fitch clothes.  I asked them to think about how lucky they are to live here and have the freedom to do things they take for granted. 

So, if what I did means I will be tried for indoctrination, get me a lawyer and make me a deal. I'm guilty as charged.

Below- my Freedom bulletin board with pictures of Marti, Biscet and as well as my Cambio poster.

Today is Flag Day. The day that we are asked to remember the meaning of our American flag and everything for which it stands. I was raised by children of Italian immigrants who were tremendously proud to be American, especially my father the vet, who placed small flags around a larger flag on our lawn every flag day. He would “tsk, tsk” about the houses that did not display their flags and was sure to not leave the flags out overnight. As children of immigrants they knew what it meant to be grateful for a prosperous, free country—the land of opportunity that afforded their parents and grandparents a life that they did not know in Italy.

I grew up with a great respect for not just the cloth that hangs on the pole, but for the men and women who died for it, for the liberties we have here that it represents and also for the people who defend it on a daily basis. I try to instill this same respect for Old Glory in my children as my father did in me.

It is fitting that his granddaughter, my thirteen year-old daughter, would be chosen as winner of an essay contest for the city Flag Association on “What the American Flag Means to Me.” She has won other awards and earned accolades this year but this one means the most to me because it means I have done my job in this regard- my oldest child, who is herself the daughter of an immigrant, understands what it means to be American and respect the flag and our country.An excerpt:

"Commemorating those who have risked and lost their lives for our country is also represented through the American flag. As it flows in the wind it takes the strength of our people with it. The flag has cried our country’s tears and has faced the war along with the men and women of our country. It has also been an inspiration for things such as poems, artwork, holidays, and more. It has faced many things throughout the years- showing that our country has survived two world wars and over two hundred years. It shows how we as a nation have survived throughout the years to fight for our freedom- and how we have been victoriously rewarded. The history of the American flag practically tells the story of America itself."

As I watched the veterans’ color guard march with the flag at this ceremony today, proud as can be in their seventies and eighties, I thought about all the immigrants who comprise this country and I wonder if those who have recently arrived realize, what the United States flag represents. It’s fine to be proud of where you were born or where your blood originates, but we must also be proud of the country that welcomed us, our parents, grandparents or those before them. So many Cubans are seen in images waving both the flag of their beloved Cuba and the flag of their adopted country- that is a beautiful sight. There should be more groups like this who appreciate and value our flag while holding their own close to their hearts.

The land of opportunity, home of the free and the brave are what Old Glory represents, and today we should all give it a salute.

God Bless America