She Is An American Girl

Today I want to shed a little "lyte" on marketing. There is a line of dolls known as "American Girl". The company is based in Wisconsin and is now owed by Mattel. They make dolls that reflect certain historical time periods. Each doll comes with its own book and a boatload of accessories.

If you don't have daughters, you probably have never heard of American Girls. But just about any girl between the ages of 4 and 10 has. Now, I know we are living in a historically significant time, but I think having a homeless American Girl is just too much.

Her name is Gwen Thompson and her dad abandoned her family and her mom lost her job. They live in their car and Gwen keeps her homelessness a secret. I am not kidding. This doll exists and can be yours for a mere $95.00. I'd like to say that part of the purchase is donated to combat homelessness, but it's not.

It seems a wee bit cynical to market tragedy. Plus, what kind of accessories will they offer for Gwen? My daughters loved their American Girls and I was amazed at the plethora of stuff you can buy for them. Some of it is period specific, like a radio for Molly, or goat for Josephina. Others are more generic like a salon for their hair, or a "bubble" bath. What kind of cool stuff does a homeless girl have? Are they going to sell the car that her family lives in?

Look, I am all for educating and expanding young peoples' horizons through toys. But this horizon is a little too bleak for me.

Sin Map

Today I am shedding some "lyte" on the seven deadly sins. No, it is not a new reality TV show, they are catalog of bad behavior that has been around since the 14th century. Well, a team at Kansas State has mapped the sins geographically across the United States. They used per capita statistics like theft for envy, and STD's for lust. They then color-coded the sin from a deep gold (saintly) to a deep magenta (devilish).

So, how did the maps turn out? For a full pictorial, go to Wired.com. But I will summarize it for you. Greed is mostly concentrated in the four corners of our great nation, with the greatest concentration in California. The Southeastern seaboard states, including Florida have the most envy. They also had the greatest concentration of wrath, but there is a nice pocket of that in Texas as well.

Sloth was found in Montana and Idaho. Gluttony was shared by Texas, Tennessee, and the Virginias. Lust was highly concentrated in the South, with the exception of Florida. And Pride, which was an aggregate of all the sins was once again concentrated mainly in the southern states, with pockets in California, the Northwest and up the East Coast.

And where do we find most of the saints? Surprisingly, not in Utah, but in the Midwest. Gluttony is the only sin that has no saintly states, but given the obesity rates in our country, I am not shocked.

I must admit, I am disappointed that my hometown, Las Vegas, was only magenta for one sin: Greed. So much for "Sin City", we need to get busy!

School's In

I want to shed a little "lyte" on constituencies. President Obama has a lot of people angry at him. Some folks are comparing him to Hitler. Obama's Presidential campaign made a very strong and successful appeal to America's youth. Now he is in danger of losing that demographic.

Is it because of his proposed healthcare bill? No. His troop build up in Afghanistan. Nope. His obsession with bipartisanship? No, again. President Obama is going to really anger the youth of this country by suggesting we lengthen the school day and the school year.

Needless to say, the kids are definitely not alright with this. But as Education Secretary Arne Duncan pointed out, the traditional school calendar was created when we were "agrarian economy" and now we are not. Only 2% of the population resides on family farms. And in order to compete in a new millennium, it would make sense to no longer follow a calendar set in the last one.

Plus more families are dual income and no one wants kids coming home to an empty house. Extending school hours, opening on weekends, and shortening the length of summer vacation makes sense. To us adults, but to kids? I don't think so. And Obama needs to remember that today's paper carrier is tomorrow's voter. So tread lightly on this one, President Obama, or even your own kids won't vote for you.

We've Come A Long Way, Maybe?

Today I am shedding some "lyte" on happiness, specifically, women's happiness. Two longitudinal studies have shown that women's rates of happiness have been declining. These studies show that over the past 40 years, women have been growing increasingly unhappy. And this trend crosses ethnicity, religious, political, and geographical boundaries. Women everywhere are unhappier. No surprise, men have grown happier.

Why the disparity? Haven't we seen enormous gains for women in the workplace, in politics, and in the classroom? Just last year we witnessed a woman come closer to the presidency than ever before. What's wrong with us? Can't we just lighten up?

No. Men are simple creatures. Give them more money and they are happier. Women are much more complex. We want more than just material gain. And despite all the strides that have been made, the world is still a very hostile place to be female.

We still have not achieved wage parity. True, our earnings versus men rose a little this year, but that is due more to the current economy where men are taking the bigger hit. We still are not safe. Our biggest predator is the men we live with. They hit us, cut us, rape us, and kill us in astounding numbers. We still are held to a unobtainable standard of beauty. We are told that as we age, we lose. When men age, they gain.

We still make up the majority of the ranks of the world's poor. We still see countries where being born female is viewed as a tragedy. Our bodies are still treated as possessions. Our appearance is subject to speculation and debasement. Did anyone bash President Obama for wearing pants suits during the campaign?

What do women want? Security for starters. It would be nice to be safe. A man's biggest fear is humiliation, a women's is murder. Changing that paradigm would make us all happier. How about some more money? When money is given to women, everyone benefits. When money is given to men, they benefit. And how about some property? Instead being considered a possession, how about we get to possess? Equal access to education would make us all more cheerful as well.

I am not surprised that women are unhappier. We pay attention and there is alot to be unhappy about. The question shouldn't be why, but what. As is, what are going to do about it?

Red Flags

I want to shed a little "lyte" on climate change. Has anyone seen Sydney, Australia? I mean that seriously. Can anyone actually see Sydney right now? It is enveloped in a huge dust storm. The skies have turned red. Flights are grounded. Citizens are warned to stay inside.

Australia has been in a drought for quite some time. And now the eastern part of that continent is blanketed in 5 million TONS of dust. But don't worry, climate change is still up for debate.

I have said it before, Mother Nature does not do bailouts. How many warnings do we ignore before we actually do something substantial and serious about protecting our global environment? The red dust covering Sydney is a huge red flag to the rest of the world. We better take heed, before it is too late.

Accidentally Out

I want to shed a little "lyte" on sexual orientation. Do you use social networks, like Facebook or MySpace? Be careful, you might be giving out more information about yourself than you think. No, I am not talking about those pictures of you in your shower, I am talking about really private information, like who you like to have sex with.

Leave to a couple of brainiacs at MIT to come up with a way to predict sexual orientation using your Facebook profile. They used a person's friend list, gender, and "interested in", and trained a computer to spot trends. And guess what, gay men have more gay men friends. But it gets interesting when they used the software on profiles of students they knew where gay, but hadn't "outted" themselves. The software predicted that these students were gay, 100% of the time. Oh, and they named the software program "Gaydar".

Now, this software only worked with gay men. Bisexuals, gay women, apparently have a more diverse friends list. (My assumption, not theirs) But still, it has to give you pause. Our buying patterns are tracked at the grocery store. Our voting habits are tracked by political parties. Now my sexuality could be tracked? Is nothing sacred?

A whole new field of analysis has opened up, thanks to the expansion of social networks. And even if you don't post revealing information about yourself, you may be revealing more than you want. Sociologists are having a field day doing statistical analysis on these networks.

So, take a long look at your friend's list, people. It might say more about you than you think.

Insult to Injury

Today I want to shed a little "lyte" on Murphy's Law. I recently read about a woman in Illinois who died after she caught fire during surgery. Yes, while undergoing surgery, a flash fire broke out and Janice McCall was severely burned. She died six days later.

Apparently, flash fires can happen during surgery. I did not know this. But it makes sense when you realize that doctors are using electrical surgical tools under drapes with oxygen being administered. The phenomena happens about 500-600 times a year and kills 1 to 2 people. Now, if a vitamin or a herb caused this kind of mayhem, you could be sure that the FDA would be quick to ban it. But it happens under a doctor's supervision, so it's okay.

Hospitals are dangerous places. It is bad enough that you can catch MRSA or some other flesh eating, antibiotic defying, disease. Or end up with a nasty infection, or catch a virus from another patient. But now you have to wonder whether you will catch fire while being operated on. Maybe we should bring back leeches? At least they're not flammable.

A Czar By Any Other Name

I want to shed some "lyte" on outrage today. Outrage is the new black for the rabid right and the Republicans. And if they cannot find something legitimate to get outraged about, they will manufacture something.

First it was that President Obama uses teleprompters, then it was that he wasn't an American. Now, in addition to being a socialist and fascist, Obama is now a closet imperialist. Why? Because he has appointed too many "czars".

An anti-czar bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives. It has, at last count, 100 co-sponsors. Republicans fear that Obama's plethora of czars is disguising yet another attempt by the head of our government to, well...lead our country or something. Many of these Republicans had no problem with the czars that were appointed during Bush's tenure.

Even a former Bush czar himself, Karl Rove, is suspicious of Obama's motives. Again demonstrating the Republican party's complete lack of irony, a man who helped to engineer the biggest power grab by the executive branch is positing that Obama's czars are a "giant expansion of presidential power". I guess it takes one to know one.

Also, the Republicans show their total disdain for facts, by ignoring that many of these "czars" were already approved by the Senate, or are filling posts created by Congress. Some are state department appointees and have real job titles. But again, don't confuse Republicans with facts.

You have to wonder just what priorities the Republican party operates under. Never mind the economic crisis, the war in Afghanistan, and healthcare reform. No, they are determined to get this "czar" crisis under control. Thanks guys, you keep your eyes on the minutiae, we'll handle the rest.

A Breath Of Fresh Air

Today I am shedding some "lyte" on sanity. Lately, it seems that our nation has gone batsh*t crazy. Tea Baggers march on Washington protesting whatever whacked out theory is currently echoing in their empty heads. Most of those theories placed their by Limbaugh, Beck and company. Republicans acting out during the President's address to them last week. And the greatest excuse for batsh*t crazy: a townhall on healthcare.

But every once in while, reality trumps fantasy. Facts triumph over ideology. That moment happened this week when US District Court Judge Clay Land tossed out a complaint lodged by Captain Connie Rhodes of the US Army. Capt. Rhodes claimed that she did not have to deploy to Iraq because President Obama was not legally the President because he was not a citizen.

In other words, Capt. Rhodes is a "birther". She was represented by Orly Taitz, who is the head inmate in the "birther" asylum and also happens to be a lawyer. Judge Clay put Taitz on notice that she could face sanctions if she continues to file such "frivolous" lawsuits.

It must be noted that Capt. Rhodes had not objected to serving in the military, only her deployment by President Obama. Wow, with loyal soldiers like this in the Army, who needs enemies?

Just What The Doctor Ordered

I want to shed a little "lyte" today on common sense. The New England Journal of Medicine published a poll showing that a significant majority of doctors support a public option. I repeat, support a public option.

63 percent of the doctors polled support a combination of public and private insurance. An additional 10% support a complete government takeover of health insurance. When those numbers are combined, 3 out of 4 doctors want a public option.

Funny, I am not seeing a lot of buzz about this in the mainstream media. Even Huffington Post has buried it on their political page. You can bet if 3/4ths of the doctors had come out against a public option, it would be all over the networks, and the blogosphere.

So, roughly the same percentage of doctors support the public option as do ordinary citizens. Then why do we continue to see stories about the public option being in danger? Wishful thinking? Or are we seeing the influence of advertising and campaign dollars at work?

Only In America

I want to shed some "lyte" on disbelief. Today is September 14th, 2009. That's 2009, not 1809, or 1709. I could have sworn we were in a new millennium. But apparently not, because I just found out that a movie about Charles Darwin can't find a single distributor here in the U.S.

Nope, a movie about the man who posited the theory of evolution is considered too "controversial". That's because only 39% of Americans polled by Gallup in February believe in evolution. Evolution is a scientific theory, not a religion, it doesn't require believers. Evolution happens whether you believe in it or not. But a majority of Americans are opting out.

It's like the Enlightenment never happened. Forget Jefferson, or Kant, or Voltaire. We are now a nation that follows Limbaugh, Dobson, and Beck. What's that whooshing sound? Oh, it is the rest of the world passing us by as we embrace a mindset more reminiscent of the Middle Ages. Hey, maybe in American there is no evolution. Just ideology.

Remembrance

I am not shedding "lyte" on anything today. Instead, I am going to urge all of you reading this to honor the anniversary of 9/11 by committing random acts of kindness. Today is a National Day of Service and Remembrance. 2974 people died eight years ago today simply because they showed up for work.

Do what you can for whomever you can. Tip generously. Pay for someone's toll or coffee. Smile at strangers. If you can volunteer your time today, do it. If not, find a way to spread a little joy in your world. Call somebody you love and tell them you love them. We all need to take time and honor those who lives were so brutally ended in the name of hate.

Boys Behaving Badly

Today I am shedding some "lyte" on civility. Unless you are a hermit, you are probably aware that President Obama spoke to a joint session of Congress last night. He wanted to address the summer of shouting over healthcare reform. Unfortunately, the Republican side of the aisle mistook the rare occasion of the leader of the free world addressing them as just another townhall.

Ever since Barack Obama became the Democratic candidate for President, the Republicans and the rabid right have been yelling and waving signs. Once he actually won the election and was sworn in, the yelling has gotten louder and the signs more numerous. We seen tea parties and townhalls populated with angry citizens and their representatives. Some folks felt it necessary to arm themselves.

All this anger has now permeated the halls of Congress, most notably on the Republican side of the aisle. Presidents have always been subjected to a certain amount of disbelief from members of the opposition. But catcalls, shout outs and signs? That's just plain rude. And when Representative Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina, felt it necessary to shout "You lie!" He demonstrated the depths of disdain that his party holds for our current President.

We are not Britain. We do not have "question time" for our President. Regardless of your ideology, President Obama is the leader of our country. And if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything. Didn't your mama raise you right?

Let Them Eat Cake

I want to shed some "lyte" on income distribution. Are you one among the top 1% of American households? Then congratulations, you did very well under the Bush administration. Thanks to his tax cuts and his administration's blatant favoritism towards big businesses and the people who own them, two-thirds of the nation's total income gains from 2001 to 2007 went to you.

This data comes from a large analysis of IRS data done by two economists. We haven't seen such income disparity since 1928. Can someone remind me what happened in 1929? Oh yeah, the Great Depression. Do you think it is merely coincidence that similar income gaps preceded our Great Recession? Hmmm.....

The top 1% did well, but the top of the top did even better. The top one-tenth of the top 1% saw their income increase by 94%. This even surpasses gains made during 1928. It is off the charts.

Did the Great Recession touch these households? How do you define touch? I doubt they had to make significant changes to their lifestyles. I doubt they are in foreclosure, or have had to declare bankruptcy. And the sad thing is, they stand to gain the most when the economy recovers. Only large-scale changes in public policy, like the New Deal, help to even the scales.

This income disparity has been in evidence since 1976. Until then, the bottom 90% gained income at a higher percentage than the top 1%. And the scary thing is, this is IRS data. Do you really think that the top 1% have claimed all of their income? Is it possible that they could afford really expensive accountants, have offshore accounts, and other vehicles to hide their money? Say it ain't so.

So, I guess there is only one thing to do. Eat the rich.

The Best Government Money Can Buy

Today I want to shed a little "lyte" on influence. A landmark case is now before the Supreme Court, one that could change our political landscape and the country as a whole. Citizens United vs Federal Elections Commission seeks to eliminate the current rule that corporations cannot contribute directly to elections.

Make no mistake, if our right-leaning Supreme Court removes the restriction, the money will flow to the Republicans. If you think big business already controls the Congress, you ain't seen nothin yet. With nothing standing between businesses and politicians, the private citizen will see their voices fade from public discourse.

Sure you can yell all you want at townhalls, rallies, and hearings. Send letters, emails, and tweet your fingers to the bone. But it will be money that will do all the talking and politicians will listen.

Your vote? What a quaint notion that it counts. You may vote someone in to office, but their decisions will be influenced by who fills their campaign coffers. And we all know how much big business cares about the little guy. If this law is repealed, we will no longer be democracy, but a kleptocracy. What a wonderful world it will be.

Big Balls

I am shedding some "lyte" today on balls. Or cojones. Anyhow, it seems that in the healthcare debate, there is one Democrat that is sporting a huge pair. Her name? Nancy Pelosi.

There are disturbing signs that the White House may be wavering on the public option. To be clear, while President Obama has supported a public option, he has never insisted that one be included in the final legislation. Of course, he has also been careful to let Congress hash out the bill, rather that presenting one to Congress to water down.

Now, after the hot August townhalls, Obama will address Congress (and the nation) about what he wants in the bill. This is scheduled to happen next Wednesday, when Congress returns from their recess. In the meantime, House Speaker Pelosi had made it clear that any bill "without a strong public option will not pass the House."

Thank you, Nancy. She has been joined by the Progressive and the Congressional Black Caucus. Though those two caucuses have stopped short of any threats of an opposition to President Obama. I just hope Senate Majority Leader and senior senator from my state, Nevada, Harry Reid will grow a pair and soon. Or maybe he can borrow Nancy's.

The Candidate For Change?

I want to shed some "lyte" on irony. The Republican party and the rabid right have officially outlawed irony in their party platform, so they are free to do whatever they want, say whatever they want, and they never have to worry about those silly things called facts or that annoying thing called reality.

If you needed another red flag of just how desperate the Republicans are for leadership, wrap your head around this: guess who's name is being bandied about as a potential presidential nominee? Wait for it....Dick Cheney. Now, give yourself a minute to let the blood rush back to your brain.

A far-fetched scenario? Again, read paragraph one. There was a column in the Wall Street Journal, yes, the Wall Street Journal, that suggested that Cheney would be an totally awesome candidate in 2012. He could run on his outstanding national security record. Okay, so sleeping at the wheel while 9/11 happened on your watch is NOT considered a black mark on your record of national security.

I need some Motrin. Every time I think that the Republicans have reached their limits on irony and hypocrisy, they come up with something like this. Of course, they are thinking that Afghanistan will be Obama's Vietnam. Conveniently forgetting that they were the ones that went there in the first place and then forgot about it when Iraq became the central front of the war on terror (their words, not mine).

Apparently they don't take responsibility for anything and they want to pin every mess they created on the guy we elected to clean them up. And this is the party that advertises itself as the party of accountability and responsibility. They also think they can package Cheney as a change agent. Yeah, what a refreshing change to elect an old, conservative, white guy. Who gleefully advocated such inspiring things like torture and secret prisons. That's change only a Republican could believe in.