May 29, 2018

hospital admitting privileges- the old boy's club's last bastion

of control over women's bodies.

the supreme court just let stand an alabama law that outlaws medication abortions unless the prescribing docs have a contract w a doc who has hospital admitting privileges.
planned parenthood says this essentially outlaws medication abortions because they couldnt find a single doc in the state willing to do this.

i had 4 of my 5 kids at home, and the old boys hated home births. w each pregnancy, there was a different doc/hospital back up.
one that i know of was threatened by the (all male) ob/gyn dept bosses at the hospital w loss of her privileges if she didnt stop doing it. i assume this is what happened to the others.
some docs went along because they insisted that they see the mom at least once, so they got their money. they charged as a new patient, of course. but then they got pressured to stop.

what makes me crazy about all this, aside from the obvious, is that i could have gone to any er if i had complications, and they would have to admit me.
i would have to put up w some doc i never met delivering my baby. i would hope they would honor their oath, and do right.
but then again, maybe they wouldnt. i had a miscarriage where i hemorrhaged badly and had to go to the hospital of the day.
they waited 10 hours to do the d&c, and i damn near bled to death, so there is that. my docs put in orders, and they were ignored. my docs couldnt do the procedure because they were 'family practitioners' and not ob's.
did i get worse treatment because they didnt like home birth? could be. i'll never know.

my docs started doing them in their office after that, which is completely legal.

i just dont understand why the existence of emergency rooms isnt good enough for those people.

cuz good old boys, that's why.

May 24, 2018

#metoo springfield. an email from my rep, kelly cassidy.

Neighbors,

Over the last few days, you may have seen news about my coming forward about having been retaliated against by members of the Speaker Michael Madigan's operation for speaking out against his handling of sexual harassment claims.

If you haven't heard, you can see some of the coverage here, here, and here. In short, the Speaker's chief of staff and a state representative loyal to him made very clear that they intended to hold my part-time job with the Cook County Sheriff's office over my head as a point of leverage.

My mother didn't raise me to take treatment like this lightly, so I came forward. I wanted you, my friends and neighbors, to hear about it from me directly. Below you can see two statements I've sent out in the last 24 hours, summarizing the situation and demanding a total overhaul of the Legislative Inspector General's office.
5/22 Statement: My Initial Reaction
In February, I first spoke publicly about the inadequate response to allegations of sexual harassment within Speaker Madigan's operation. On two occasions since that time, someone loyal to Speaker Madigan has attempted to intimidate me and my part-time employer. After the second occurrence, I knew it wouldn't stop, and I knew that the only way to ensure that these retaliation efforts cease is to place a spotlight on them.

Having spent my entire adult life advocating for those without power, I have advocated for stronger responses to discrimination at all levels as well as in the private sector. I know that my role in the House affords me a greater degree of safety than many who have long complained about the ways women are treated in Springfield. Since coming forward yesterday, I have been stopped by more women (and men) than I can count, thanking me for speaking up because they don't feel safe speaking out about their own experiences of intimidation, retaliation, and harassment.

As this story now turns to the inevitable he said/she said and denials, I remain firmly committed to being a steadfast voice for justice and equality, just as I have worked against harassment and discrimination throughout my career. I stand by my story. I did not want to leave the work and the team I loved being a part of, and I certainly did not want to spend the waning days of this session focused on anything other than passing my bills and getting a budget completed.

I am encouraged to see the call for an investigation by the Legislative Inspector General from both the Illinois State Senate Women's Caucus and Speaker Madigan. Based on the widely reported concerns about the ability of the LIG to operate with true independence, I stand by my original call for a truly independent and outside investigation into this culture that appears to pervade the organizations led by Speaker Madigan.

I am committed to speaking out against retaliation and intimidation, and to doing what I can to change this abusive culture. We can and must do better for all of us.
5/23 Statement: Overhaul of the LIG
It has been a tumultuous year in the Capitol as concerns about sexual harassment allegations under the dome have swirled, sometimes boiling over as they did this week.

The issues are complex and very easy to glaze over. What is very clear is that we have not solved this problem, nor have we repaired the lack of faith in the system or the process for handling complaints.

Tuesday, Speaker Madigan reversed course from his earlier denials over the concerns I raised about retaliation and requested an investigation by the Legislative Inspector General. While I applaud his openness to an inquiry, I continue to have very real concerns about the venue he's selected.

The Office of Legislative Inspector General made headlines late last year after it was revealed that the position of LIG had remained vacant for 3 years, a situation many in the Capitol were completely unaware of, in spite of the early discussions about problems with harassment in our Capitol. During the time the office was vacant, a number of complaints piled up unaddressed and we had to pass emergency legislation to extend the statute of limitations on cases that had died of neglect during that time. Some members of the General Assembly, myself included, suggested that the statute empowering the LIG be overhauled at the same time to better equip a new LIG to truly operate independently, but the changes made were limited to the timeline extension at that time.

While the reasons for the lengthy vacancy in the office of Legislative Inspector General were never publicly reported, news reports at the time suggest that the issue related to a situation where the LIG found cause to launch an investigation and was denied permission to open an investigation by the partisan leadership appointees to the Legislative Ethics Commission. It bears repeating here - the Inspector General can not proceed with an investigation unless a panel of members of the body they are charged with overseeing grants them the permission to do so. The flaws in the process don't stop there though, it is riddled with trap doors, blind alleys and loopholes designed to allow political consideration to bury any complaint that is politically inconvenient. In addition to the lack of true independence in choosing whether to proceed to the investigative phase, other problems include:

Neither the LIG nor the Ethics commission are required to publicly share any information about complaints, investigations or findings by the LIG, which is the mechanism that allows the partisan nature of the Ethics Commission to keep facts from the public.
The Legislative Ethics Commission, the group of General Assembly members appointed by legislative leadership (4 Democrats and 4 Republicans), has the power to reject any findings of an Inspector General.
A simple majority vote is required to move an action forward and no provision exists for breaking the tie vote, so anything serious could die for the lack of one vote. As a result, party line voting on the commission all but guarantees no serious consequences exist.
The minutes of the meetings of the Legislative Ethics Commission are not required to be publicly disclosed.

There are a couple of pieces of legislation moving through the Senate now, where members are working together in a bipartisan fashion to find workable solutions to the problems in both the Legislative Inspector General's office and the Department of Human Rights. The proposed changes to the Ethics Act are pretty simple and straightforward and I stand ready to support these changes when the bill comes over to the House.

The proposed changes to the Ethics Act, carried by Sens. Cristina Castro and Karen McConnaghy, include:
Most importantly, the bill will remove the outrageous barrier to investigative independence by removing the provisions requiring the Legislative Inspector General to seek the permission of the Ethics Commission before opening an investigation. As mentioned above, Illinois is the ONLY state in the country with such a provision in their Ethics Act.
The bill will bring desperately needed transparency and accountability to the Office and the Commission, requiring publication of case summaries in instances where a violation has been found as well as mandating public release of meeting minutes. A supermajority, which by the design of the Ethics Commission would require bipartisan cooperation, will be required to quash the release of any case summary.
Critically important for restoring faith in the process, the Ethics Commission would be expanded by four members of the public.
Ethics Commission members involved in cases would be required to recuse themselves and be temporarily replaced on the commission.
Finally, the bill sets out a process for the timely replacement of the Legislative Inspector General in the case of a vacancy.
Each chamber has other pieces of legislation on the topic, but progress has been limited. Just as I suggested last fall when this all began, it would be ideal if we could have started this process with the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral task force seeking real solutions to improve the workplace we all share.

May 22, 2018

another update on the punky monster.

i am pretty impressed w how far punky has come since i explained to him about the word- no.

his responses arent always perfect, but i follow through and in the end he gets it.
so far we have made progress on-
no stop chasing that chicken
no biting
no jumping
no touching me when i ask you to jump
no fighting w your sister. yes i know she started it. or, i know you did. either way- no


also glad i sprung for the collar. instant attention and enough power to get him into a sit even if someone is asking to pet him, or there is a bunny, or there are a dozen baby chicken, or a strange dog, or
back to work on down, too, which are very hard to accomplish w/o that leverage because he thinks wrestling him into a down is a game.
and longer stays. he seems to remember he is on a stay a little longer w that collar on.


however, he has turned into a sneaker about getting out.
he has gotten super leash wise, as in thinks he can get away w shit if he isnt on a leash.
he has already fired up the gossip chain after slipping past the grandkids at the door, and bumped into the wrong dog/owner a couple times.
so we are trying to get to off leash control, which of course goes awry.
no harm, or course, and not as out of control as it looked.
had him under control in seconds.
but still the lines are abuzz.

if we are out doing off leash, i am armed w super treats and squeaky toys and right now mostly working on getting his attention when he is in go mode. it's going well. (we start w him looking for bunnies at the farm, which is why we have to push it. they are freaking everywhere.)
my first stray dog taught me exactly how not to deal w an itchy footed dog.
i would scream and run and chase her down the alley. to her it as all part of the fun. look, mom's coming along. she is barking like mad. she must be having fun.

so i just keep cool, try to keep up, and not turn it into a contest. i toss his favorite treat at him, and hijack his nose. for him, it is about following his nose. which is why i can keep up w him most of the time.
squeaky toys arent that effective, but they help. he does want me to follow him, so he doesnt get too far. doesnt hurt to remind him where i am.
just stepping back while stepping up the distraction.

he goes for 4 days of board and train next week. think i will ask them to work on retrieve. when he got here he would play for a long time, bringing it back every time. now he is pretty indifferent. it would be great to add a ball to the off leash tool kit, so time to step that up.
also time to teach him- drop it. that nose leads him into so gross things.

i think he'll get there.

May 18, 2018

wouldnt it be great if planned parenthood was

in all the drug store clinics?

May 16, 2018

Miniature railroad world in Frazier Thomas' former Wilmette basement

Years of dust cover the vista of train tracks, railroad stations, village stores and tiny figures peopling the miniature landscape. Multiple control boards, which at one time could order five trains at once through that landscape, are similarly shrouded.

Still, the extent of Frazier Thomas’ model rail creation, which the children’s television icon and onetime Wilmette resident built in the basement of his Greenwood Avenue home, clearly encompasses an entire tiny world within 30 feet.

Terrie Briggs, the home’s owner, hopes someone cares enough about the set and its history to give it a new home.

“If I have to move, I don’t want someone to come in and tear this down,” she said. “I’m afraid to touch anything, because I don’t want to break it, but it’s so amazing that it should be saved somehow.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/wilmette/news/ct-wml-frazier-thomas-train-tl-0517-story,amp.html


if you grew up in chicago, i dont need to tell you who this is.
i sure hope someone steps up. it is pretty amazing.

May 15, 2018

time to move on from john mc cain.

it was ugly, now banal.
the planet is burning, wars are brewing, let's move on, please.

tweety, go f yourself.
enough.

May 15, 2018

"traitors and cowards"

jesus h christ man. these are your hires. you kicked out the careers staff. you brought in your "best people".
you cant even run the f'ing white house, a place where so many are loyal to the office, and honored to serve, even if they think you are a complete bumbling asshole.

have you no sense whatsoever of responsibility for your own actions? (totally rhetorical question)

i get more and more frustrated every day w this hollow "man".

May 15, 2018

my sister's husband- a caution about harvoni.

so, some of you have been following my posts about my sister's race for county board (see sig), and might remember this thread about her husband's death-
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210561674

well, the autopsy results showed it was not a blood clot or an aneurysm, but "undiagnosed heart disease". complete blockage of 2 arteries, and hypertensive heart disease.
here is the thing- he was 63, had an extensive, serious, medical history, but nobody bothered to send him for a cardiac workup before surgery.
when she talked to the surgeon, he told her that both the interferon he was on for 2 years, and the harvoni that he had been on to clear his hepC, are KNOWN to have cardiac risks. (his pcp said- homna homna homna)

his death was completely preventable.
and this was at northwestern memorial hospital, one of the "best" in the country. 20 years a patient there.
emt's didnt exactly cover themselves w glory either. no defib.

grief is one thing, grief mixed w anger, self-blame, is a different, much knottier beast.
she is talking to a couple of lawyers, and plans to file a wrongful death suit. she says he would kill her if she didnt. a last battle to fight for him.
he was a year and a half away from a heritable pension.
hoping that considering all the money wrapped up in the drug will result in a quick and generous payment.
i have a friend who manages a law office that specializes in defending drug companies. she says there are lots of suits floating around out there on this drug.

i guess the days of trusting your doc are over. and doing your homework in the interweb age is fraught w bullshit.
lord help us all.

May 11, 2018

update on punky the monster puppy.

i posted this little while ago about my crazy puppy-
https://www.democraticunderground.com/116137683

but things have settled down. posted this the other day on fb-

having a moment w the monster puppy.
let him do a little hunting this morning. had the opportunity to explain to him that he cant swallow everything he catches. he found a desiccated squirrel. yuck. drop it punky.
wasnt easy, but i won.
now he is napping next to me, and all the dogs.
biff was not tickled, but i am forgiven.
if i can make sure this kid gets to hunt, i think i can keep him from the dark side. what to bite and what not to bite is our big training issue right now, and he is getting it.
so far after several trials, he knows he cant bite the baby chicks. i let him smell them every day, on leash, right in front of me. when i take them out now, he lays down for his daily sniff.
we also sit on the bench in the yard and feed the chickens. he knows the place command, and he is often placed on the bench. so he is pretty reliable on a leash. he gets to be close enough to give them a good sniff and an occasional paw pat.
he will need his nose to not make hunting mistakes. he loves his nose.
he also met mr hose today.
managing to forge a little pack peace while explaining the word in english "no" to a wolf puppy. and to a couple crabby old ladies, who should know better, but....
so all in all have a little more hope about turning this little monster into a useful dog.
i guess i will buy him a new collar. he ate the last one. i have been reluctant to invest in the $50 training collar that he needs.

the collar was $65, but i sprung for it.
him understanding the word no, even tho i had to literally punch him in the face a couple times to explain it, has really brought the temperature down.
we have also done more off leash, cuz the little sucker was getting reallllllly leash-wise. as long as i have treats to rattle in the treat box, and a good toy, i can keep his attention. if he sees a bunny he is gone, but i'm not going to discourage that yet. he comes back as soon as the chase is over.

i am even starting to like the little sucker. i had been holding back, really. not to him, but to myself. i didnt want to get attached.
but he is worming his way into my heart by working so hard to be a good kid.
i know my days of wrangling big puppies are numbered. i've still got it, and imma hold onto it as long as i can. i was really kicking myself over how hard this has been. but i guess i still have the chops.

May 11, 2018

friendly reminder- if you still have your mom,

CALL HER THIS WEEKEND.
even if you havent talked to her in forever. even if you are mad at her, or she is mad at you.
even if you can only manage- hi, thanks for birthing me, goodbye.

if you really cant deal w your own mom, call someone else's.

tia