Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) my favorite video of the campaign season

(Community Matters) Remind me why we don’t live in Southern California?   Started the cool, overcast morning in Newport Beach, finished in Santa Monica on my way to friends’ in Brentwood. Chilling outside in perfect weather, waiting for Steven.

(Community Matters) Intuitively we’ve always known it. Think back to the kids who had the most problems – they had security issues, screwed up family lives and just never seemed to get it together. On the other hand, some of us were nestled, coddled, safe in mind, spirit & soul. Brooks on “The Psych Approach,” the link between childhood trauma and adult outcomes.

The link between childhood trauma and adult outcomes was striking. People with an ACE score of 4 were seven times more likely to be alcoholics as adults than people with an ACE score of 0. They were six times more likely to have had sex before age 15, twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancer, four times as likely to suffer emphysema. People with an ACE score above 6 were 30 times more likely to have attempted suicide.

(Community Matters) Today, flying from Houston to LA I sat next to a young woman and her father. My first thought was hey buddy, you’re sitting in my seat – the coveted 7C, short of an upgrade there’s none better on United.

Then I noticed, he didn’t look so well, so I “inquired” about the seat. He asked if I’d mind trading and take the bulkhead window.  Over the course of the flight I learned he has a very short time to live. Started out as prostrate cancer, then bladder, lung and now bones. On top of it all, he fell and broke his hip, has a blood clot in one leg and has developed a pretty bad wound on his back. They flew to LA for his one last visit to see his older brother. His daughter called it his bucket list wish.

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(Community Matters) I had to respond to a friend’s post blaming Obama for today’s cultural divide. After pointing out that this political division & rancor has been increasing ever since the Clinton presidency (b/c of the opposition, not Pres Clinton*) and that politics today are played by dividing us, not uniting us, I further shared:

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(Community Matters) I’ll join Steven in LA tomorrow. Previews for American Fiesta at the Colony start today; it’s opening is Saturday where we’re being joined by Molly & Peter Benson and Agapi Stassinopoulos.

hmm, I’ve been told that Leon has an accent in this production

(Community Matters) it’s an oasis

(Community Matters) Encouraging signs?

(Community Matters)  Reads like an SNL skit but I’m pretty sure he meant these comments to assure supportes and donors – Romney political director Rich Beeson in Politico’s Playbook:

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(Community Matters) Politico – open chairmanships due to term limits:

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(Community Matters)  and that’s just among the staff . . . in the Maxine Waters investigation- Politico

(Community Matters) The myth that lower capital gains sustainably spurs economic growth and jobs creates an inequity that threatens democracy. We’re taxing the wages of men and women in the military, teachers, fire fighters, janitors and other laborers at higher rates than most investors while Nordquist’s grand strategy of robbing the treasury (not funding two wars nor the largest increase in entitlements in several decades) to justify shrinking government could result in drastic cuts to the infrastructure that supports economic mobility. Intentional or not, we’re pulling up the ladder behind the 5%* of Americans who are upper middle class and rich.

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